Final mass to be said on Sunday

One of Leeside’s most prominent Catholic churches will hold its last mass this weekend, after which it will permanently close its doors.

Having served its community for generations, St Augustine's Church on Washington Street will bid a final goodbye to parishioners during this Sunday’s 11.30am mass.

The Augustinian Order made the difficult decision to withdraw from the church primarily due to an accelerating decline in vocations and the aging profile of the friars.

The news was first broken to parishioners during mass at the beginning of March by Fr Paddy O’Reilly, Vicar Provincial of the Augustinian Order in Ireland.

At the time, he described the closure as a loss “akin to a death”.

Designed by Cork architect Dominic O'Connor, the church was built in 1942 on the site of a chapel dating back to 1872. The church was further extended and updated in 1972, with the priory added in 1982. The current structure, with its striking mid-century stained glass windows, has been a prominent Cork city landmark for decades.

In a message posted online, the Augustinian Order explained, with fewer friars available, it could no longer sustain both the priory and the church.

However, the order reassured the public that the wider city centre remains supported by the Franciscan, Capuchin, and Dominican orders.

The Bishop of Cork and Ross, Bishop Fintan Gavin, acknowledged the announcement with deep sorrow, highlighting how beloved the church has been for prayer, belonging, and cultural life.

Expressing his “sincere gratitude to the Augustinian friars, past and present”, the bishop said the Catholic Church would “continue to find new ways of placing Christ, his church, and a spirit of welcome and worship at the heart of our city”.

“The faith that was nurtured for generations within the walls of St Augustine’s will continue to live on and bear fruit in the hearts of its people and in the life of our city,” said the bishop.