Athlone St Anthony’s Friary closes doors for final time

By David Flynn

It was the end of a long era with Athlone saying goodbye to St Anthony’s Friary last Thursday night, October 3. The long-dreaded event came just hours after the death of former Athlone Minister, Mary O’Rourke, and both events were lamented at the final prayer service in the friary, by Guardian Fr Gabriel.

The church was constructed in the year of the Eucharistic Congress 1932, although the history of the Franciscan Friars in Athlone goes back 800 years.

The Guardian welcomed the large gathering to the church for the last time, as they celebrated October 3, the date of death in the 13th century of St. Francis of Assisi.

“The church will close this evening for good, and on this evening we think of the passing of our blessed Brother Francis,” said Fr. Gabriel Kinahan. “We also remember a significant person in this town, Mary O’Rourke, who has passed away,”

Sr Anne O’Flanagan played the organ for St Anthony’s Friary choir on the final evening, beginning with the hymn, ‘The Heavens are telling the Glory of God,’.

There were prayers and reciting of memories of St Francis read on the night, including the Gospel read by St. Anthony’s Friary volunteer worker, Carmel Feeney.

Among the other songs played by the choir included ‘Make Me a Channel of Your Peace’, while the priest led a prayer for all nations.

“Thank you, as we close the door of the friary,” said Fr. Gabriel.

He said that the relic of St Anthony will be taken to St. Mary’s Church, Athlone, and the Novena Prayer will be continued there on Tuesdays, as it used to be in St. Anthony’s Friary.

“So that is some consolation to us as we end our time of our experience here in Athlone,” said Fr Gabriel, as he gave the congregation a final blessing.

There was massive clapping among the gathering at the end of an era prayer service.

The final hymn played by the choir at St. Anthony’s Friary was ‘How Great Thou Art’, which was followed by a clap of hands for the choir.

Sr Denise, formerly of Our Lady’s Bower Secondary school said that the closure of the church was “very sad, and there’s many good memories,”.

“It’s a long era to be at the end of, 800 years, and now we are at the end,” said Sr Denise. “We pray there is a new something going to happen, because I see an undercurrent of something very good spiritually speaking. I don’t know what it is, but it’s there and I feel it and hear it to some extent, but I’m not sure how it is going to shape up, and it’s young people in many ways who are leading it! It can’t be the end, but we have to be open to different things. A lot is changing in society, which can be reflected in the church, and maybe if we pray, we will have a resurrection in some sense!”

Sr. Anne O’Flanagan said she was organist for 32 years in the Friary, and in that time, she hasn’t seen many changes.

“I’m trying to move stuff now though, and I need two lorries!” she said.

Kay Munnelly, Sacristan of St. Mary’s Church, said she feels that it’s the end of an era.

“It’s a change but nothing is different and we will continue the Novena in St Mary’s and we’ll have the statue of St Anthony,” said Kay.

Annetta Burke said the closure “doesn’t bear thinking about,”.

“It’s so hard to leave here, it’s a beautiful church and we were all reared coming down to the Novenas,” said Annetta, who is a member of Magliocco family from Church Street. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Eileen Jennings also has long memories of St Anthony’s Friary.

“My mother was 50 years in the Choir and I remember going with her to sing at 8 o’clock mass when I was very young,” said Eileen, who was also a long-time choir member. “At that time, you weren’t let into the choir until you were 10 years old, but I was singing a long time before that.”

Annetta Burke said she was dreading the day the church would close.

“The church is in great condition, and I don’t know what will happen, but they should do something with it,” said Annetta.

Dermod and Jean Foy were members of St Anthony’s Friary Choir since around 1980.

“We used to bring our kids in here in carry-cots,” said Dermod.

“The organist at the time, Mrs Mary Burke used to say, 'is she going to cry?', but there wasn’t a stir out of her,” said Jean laughing. “Mrs Burke was a great organist and she used to write parodies for our concerts many years ago. We’re heartbroken tonight. The Friary is inside of us, and part of the fabric of our house.”

Dermod said most people loved the Friary, whether they were very religious or had no religion.

“It’s a very special place of peace and serenity,” he said.

“We would see strangers here, and hear them say, ‘Wow’ about the place,” said Jean. “It put its arms around you.”

Carmel Feeney said the closure is unbelievable and something she never thought she’d see in a million years.

“We all came here as kids, and ran around the corner from Griffith Street, where we lived, to Benediction on a Saturday evening,” said Carmel. “The Friary was always part of our lives since we were kids. Our parents were in the Third Order and the Sodalities.”

However Carmel said that when the Franciscans left, everyone knew the closure was on the cards.

“The doors will be locked up and we don’t know what will become of the church and that is a worry because if it is locked up with no heat, it will crumble and deteriorate,” she said. “There’s a huge crowd here tonight and it was a lovely ceremony. I think it’ll hit us on Tuesday morning when the door won’t be open for the Novena!”

She said that the St Mary’s Church has been brilliant accommodating them with the Novena.

“When the Friary was built it was done by fundraising of local Athlone people and they went around to the different housing estates collecting funds to build the church,” said Carmel.

Brother Ronan Sharpley from Ballinamore, Leitrim, was based at the Athlone Friary from 2015 to 2017, and returned for the final night.

“It’s sad about tonight, and it was very emotional, and I think a lot of people feel emotional about it,” he said.

“I’m based in Galway now at the Friary in Eglington Street, but I had a great two years here with the church and the congregation in Athlone,” he explained.