The more stories we got to hear over the past few weeks about the strange shenanigans going on at The Holy Rosary Church, the more it all felt like Father Ted without the laughs.
But with quiet a few screams, temper tantrums and angry phone calls instead.
And try as we might to get to the bottom of it all – with emails to the parish office and to Archbishop Dermot Farrell going unanswered – it’s been nigh on impossible to determine exactly what is going on.
And just why so many Greystones and Kilquade parishioners have been taking the name of the Lord in vain of late when it comes to their local Catholic churches.
Talking to Tom Galvin from The Bray People, he has been leaving messages at The Holy Rosary too, but, again, no reply.
A report on the current troubles in Dublin Live this evening had, tellingly, no quotes from the immaculate powers that be.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, those close to the flame around here don’t really want to go on record either.
Lest they be struck by the wrath of Father John Daly, a man who undoubtedly has the gift when it comes to sermons but whose Christian spirit might just be lacking a tad once he steps away from the altar.
One parishioner recounted to us a particularly stinging phone call she received from Daly after she dared question the proposed introduction last month of a €100 ‘donation’ per child for confirmations and communions.
Bray, by contrast, charges a flat €30 fee. After a nationwide outcry and outraged media coverage – including Joe Duffy’s Liveline – this new fee that would have reaped an estimated €80,000 was quietly but swiftly abolished.
That the Archbishop should travel out to Greystones on September 24th to let his feelings been known about this PR disaster may or may not have had something to do with the donations demand being dropped the following day.
This sudden about-face may also be behind the sudden announcement on September 26th from the Pastoral Area Office for Greystones and Kilquade Parishes that all activities and meetings for ‘the sacramental preparations for First Holy Communion and Confirmation have been postponed, effective immediately, until further notice’.
One such meetings for parents was due to take place just two hours later the same day, and since that Dear John letter, there’s been complete radio silence, leaving 800 dressed-up, pumped-up local kids with no particular holy place to go for their big celestial day.
And quite a lot of angry parents standing right behind them.
“There has been no communication from Father John or anyone else,” one disappointed parent told us.
“The whole thing has been tainted, with all the good taken out of it. Parents don’t care at this stage if it will happen or not, with some now considering going to other parishes.”
And it would appear that this sad state of affairs isn’t the only unholy mess currently testing local parishioners’ faith, with disgruntled mumbles about €100,000 hymn karaoke screens being installed in St Anthony’s Church in Kilcoole and The Holy Rosary almost being drowned out by the growing concerns for the much-loved – and possibly too popular – Father Gerard Tyrrell of St Kilian’s Church in Blacklion, mysteriously out on sick leave for some weeks now.
Having been allegedly given his transfer orders from Greystones surprisingly early. We’re told by one long-time parishioner that Daly and Tyrrell don’t talk to one another, a state of affairs that’s been going on “for a very, very long time”.
It would be wonderful to know what is truly going on here.
To find some good reason for all this strange and strained behaviour.
For now though, there are 800 kids to think about, and their big day needs to be sorted, without any further delays. Or excuses.
Once that’s done, we’ll be happy to hear all and any explanations for the town’s latest bout of childish church chicanery…
Update: The day after our article appeared, the parents of the 800 kids waiting to find out when their communions and confirmation would take place this year received the following message from the Greystones & Kilquade Pastoral Office…
Technically, this is known as throwing the baby out with the holy water.