Funeral masses on a Sunday are being phased out in parts of the county.
The Bishop of Waterford & Lismore has sent a letter to all parishes in his Diocese informing them of a new general rule to avoid celebrating funeral Masses on Sundays apart from exceptional circumstances for pastoral reasons.
Fr Michael Twomey is the administrator of the Parishes of Ardfinnan & Newcastle/Fourmilewater and says the reasons for the rule include a lack of resources and the clash with regular Sunday mass.
Speaking on Tipp Today earlier, Fr Twomey says there was also other reasons for the decision:
“A number of people were getting a little bit annoyed and frustrated that they were coming to a Sunday mass to celebrate their Eucharist, their weekly obligation and they felt like they were kind of intruding on a personal families grief going to a funeral and hearing about the life of someone they have never met and they are all sitting there.
“So there is the kind of pastoral side to it as well.”
