Bid to keep Athlone’s Friary church open after friars leave

A plan is being developed to keep the Franciscan Friary church in Athlone open until at least the middle of 2023, despite the impending departure of all of the friars who are currently based in the town.

Under the plan, Mass would be celebrated in the much-loved church twice a week, on Tuesday and Sunday mornings, while volunteers from the local community would give their time to help ensure the church opens to the public on a daily basis.

"In the short-term, the shutters are not coming down on the church, even though the friars will be gone," Fr Gabriel Kinahan, Guardian of the Franciscan community in Athlone, told the Westmeath Independent on Friday last.

There was a sense of shock and great sadness throughout the wider Athlone area when it was announced in October that the Franciscan community would be withdrawing from the town in early January.

The remaining friars in Athlone are currently preparing for moves to Multyfarnham, Galway, Ennis, and Merchant's Quay in Dublin.

Fr Gabriel said the provincial of the Irish Franciscans, Fr Aidan McGrath, was hoping to delay a decision on the long-term future of the Friary church until after the appointment of a Bishop to the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois.

"The provincial is very anxious that, before we make any decision on what might happen to the church, we'd consult a newly-appointed Bishop, when that appointment happens. Hopefully that will happen in the next five or six months, and we'll get his opinion on it."

Fr Gabriel is himself relocating to Multyfarnham, but the Moate native said he was planning to come back to Athlone to celebrate Masses in the Friary on Tuesday and Sunday mornings.

"I've been meeting with what you might call the Friary church services support group. What's going to happen is I'll be moving to Multyfarnham and trying to maintain some kind of service in the church for about five or six months.

"The short-term arrangement is that I will say Mass (in Athlone) twice a week, the St Anthony's Novena Mass on a Tuesday morning, and a Sunday Mass. I'll be working out of Multyfarnham, and there's another friar there who can commute as well.

"We are trying to get a group of volunteers to take care of things in the church, such as the opening and closing of the church.

“We need a group that will commit themselves to doing that, and also a group that will look after the sacristy and make sure everything is in place for saying Mass."

He said the aim was to keep the church open to the public during the day, seven days a week, but in the absence of a resident priest this will depend on support from volunteers. If anyone is interested in getting involved, they can contact Fr Gabriel at: guardian.athlone@franciscans.ie

Fr Gabriel said he was not in a position to discuss the future of the accommodation facilities at the Friary. "That is a matter still under consideration, with lots of options on the table," he said.

The Friary's public office is expected to close on Christmas Eve, and, given the current circumstances, the Christmas services in the church are likely to be particularly emotional this weekend.

"I'll be doing the two Masses on Christmas Eve, the 6pm and the 10pm, and in a sense it will be our last Christmas Mass in the Friary, so it is a bit rough," conceded Fr Gabriel.

The departure of the Franciscans was mentioned last Wednesday during the sold-out Samaritans' Christmas concert in the Friary church.

A Mass of Thanksgiving, to celebrate the Franciscans' time in Athlone, will be taking place on Sunday, January 8.

"We're hoping that will be a nice occasion. The provincial, Fr Aidan McGrath, will be the chief celebrant, and we're planning to have a cup of the tea in the Friary afterwards.

"We'll throw open the doors, invite people in, and that will be part of the process," said Fr Gabriel.