St Catherine’s Church due to reopen in time for Christmas

St Catherine’s Church will reopen in time for Christmas

Unexpected glitches have pushed back the reopening of St Catherine’s Church into December, writes Charles Heasman.

The long awaited reopening of St Catherine’s Church on Meath Street is finally scheduled for Sunday, 15th December.

It was previously hoped that the restoration work would have been completed earlier but a last minute hitch occurred with the church’s heating.

When the system was tested leaks were discovered under the floor, which had to be dug up.

Parish priest Father Coghlan told The Liberty: “It was a lucky escape for us in a way. They were the old original pipes which had rotted out, and if the disturbance during renovation had not disturbed them we would have probably found ourselves digging them up in a few years time.”

Now the work is finally nearing completion and the scaffolding which still adorns the church at the time of writing is due to come down in the next few days.

The church will be open for public viewing between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm, from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th of December, when tea and coffee will be provided and visitors shown around.

On the day of the actual opening, a procession will leave St John’s Church, timed to arrive at St Catherine’s at 12.15 pm.

This will be a symbolic reversal of the procession that left St Catherine’s for St John’s after the fire.

It will be led by a candle bearer holding the Easter candle that survived the blaze and headed the procession on that occasion.

Bishop Eamon Walsh will walk with the procession and then celebrate the first mass in the renovated St Catherine’s.

Volunteers are urgently required to help out over the few days, making sandwiches and serving tea and coffee.

Anyone with a hour or two to spare is invited to contact the parish office on 01 4543356.