Parish councils from all over West Mayo are coming to visit Clare Island in Clew bay in County Mayo to see how the local parish provides a Sunday service when there is no priest available to say mass. The scenic island lost its last resident priest in 2001 and since then the local parish council, with full approval from the local deanery and the Archdiocese of Tuam, runs what is officially termed a Liturgy of The Word with Communion when no priest is available to say mass.
The service is presided over by local people on a rota basis and local national schoolteacher Mary McCabe, who presides over the service during month of August, says that what the islanders are doing will become more commonplace in the church.
Speaking to the Mayo News newspaper, she said, “It is clear that very soon the laity will have to become more actively involved in the running of their church services and parishes.”
Such services follow the basis format of mass with readings from both the Old and New Testaments and the Gospel.
However, there is no consecration so the consecrated hosts used will be those left by the priest who last said Mass.
SIC: CIN