CHRISTMAS at Clonard will be different this year but very much still as special with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses broadcast online. 

Rector Fr Peter Burns spoke of how it was a “difficult decision because our very, very clear wish would have been to have people in the church for those Masses,” but due to the Coronavirus pandemic the decision was taken to go online. 

“We looked at the options of having a booking or ticketing system which some of the other parishioners are using, but our problem, we’ve no difficulty in making sure the capacity of the church, which is 145 is kept to, is the prospect of people gathering outside the church. 

“Between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses we would get anything between three and four thousand people, it’s a huge number of people. Even if a fraction of those people came, we couldn’t cope with it. We decided in the end that the safest and most responsible thing to do was go online.”

Fr Burns said parishioners and their families can enjoy service at 6pm and 9pm on Christmas Eve and 7am, 9.30am and 11am on Christmas Day via their webcam.

“This year we also decided we weren’t going to build the famous Clonard Crib, it draws big numbers every year and again we decided it wouldn’t be safe but instead we are going to put a simpler crib on the sanctuary and blend it with the Christmas tree which is also on the sanctuary. I think it’s going to work very well. 

“I wish people the blessings of Christmas and a New Year that will bring better things.”

Christmas Eve Mass will be streamed via the Clonard webcam at 6pm with the Clonard Folk Group and 9pm with the Clonard Choir.  Christmas Day Masses will be streamed at 7am, 9.30am (with Cantor) and 11am with Clonard Choir. For more information visit www.clonard.com.