Final prayers said at St Augustine’s

Parishioners wept poignant tears in the face of loss last weekend as one of Cork city’s most iconic churches hosted its final mass.

An estimated 2,000 people attended St Augustine's Church on Washington Street for Sunday’s final mass at 11.30am.

The 1,200 seat church was packed to capacity, with worshipers pouring out onto the street at both the Washinton St and Grand Parade entrances.

Opening the mass, Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, described the final gathering as a sad and historic day for Cork.

He said: “It marks both the closing of this much-loved church and the conclusion of the Augustinian friars’ long ministry in Cork.

“No church can simply be replaced in the affection and memory of those who have prayed there over many years. Nor should we pretend that today is not painful. It is.”

Bishop Fintan Gavin went on to thank the Augustinian friars, noting their presence in Cork reaches back to 1272.

He said: “Across so many generations, and through very different times in the history of this city, the Augustinian family has been part of Cork’s spiritual, cultural and human life.

“For many people, St Augustine’s has been a place to which they returned through the years; for daily mass or confession, in times of grief or uncertainty, or simply for a moment of quiet prayer. For many, it has become a spiritual home. That is why the closing of this church brings a real and deep sense of loss to so many people.”

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.

In closing, Bishop Fintan Gavin assured parishioners that, although the loss of the church hurts deeply, the seed of faith sown there over generations will not be lost.

He said: “The church in Cork is going through a time of change. Change can bring uncertainty and sadness. But it can also invite us to listen more attentively to where the Holy Spirit is leading us.

“The Eucharist celebrated here, the Word of God proclaimed here, the forgiveness received here, the tears shed here, and candles lit and the prayers said here have not returned to God empty. That faith lives on.”