It’s been a pretty torrid time weather-wise in Ireland, and a Wexford priest has taken matters into his own hands, saying mass for better weather.
The poor weather has felt interminable in Ireland of late. It’s wreaking havoc with people’s mental health and making life very difficult for the country’s farmers.
However, there remains hope after a priest in the Wexford town of Kilrush said mass earlier this week to implore better weather from the powers that be.
The power of prayer – culturally important in Ireland
Ireland and the Catholic Church have a long and complicated relationship. For the better, recent years have seen the Church loosen its chokehold on the country, and the Emerald Isle has become a much more secular country.
That said, no matter how secular the country becomes, it seems Ireland will likely remain a culturally Catholic country. The most prominent example of this is the belief in the power of prayer, even among non-practising Catholics.
If you’ve ever sat an exam or gone under the knife in hospital, you can comfortably bet that someone – usually your granny or mother – has visited the parish church, popped a coin in the slot, and lit a wee candle for you.
There’s also seemingly nothing lost that can’t be found by a prayer to St Anthony. Although, some households opt for the repeated mantra, “Jesus was lost; Jesus was found”, in its place.
Moreover – and perhaps most pertinent to this article – has an Irish person ever been married without someone placing a Child of Prague out in the run-up to the big day to stave off the rain? We think not.
The Irish weather – notoriously bad
Ask anyone outside of Ireland – and many within the country – to name one thing they know about the Emerald Isle, and many will tell you that the weather’s bad.
This is indisputable. Indeed, Met Éireann’s March report noted that rainfall was above average in most places, with the so-called “sunny” southeast the wettest area of all.
Furthermore, each of Met Éireann’s stations recorded at least 20 rain days – days on which at least 0.2 mm of rainfall is measured – across the month of March.
But, if you live in Ireland, you don’t need statistics to tell you that the rain has felt interminable so far in 2024.
Pray the rain away – Wexford priest says mass for better weather
The weather is really rather depressing, but a solution could be in sight! Belief in the power of prayer and chagrin with the recent weather recently led a Wexford priest to say mass for better weather.
Thanks to the area’s heavy rainfall of late, local farmers have been unable to plant beans, cereals, potatoes, and other crops on which their livelihoods depend.
Father Joseph Powell of St Brigid’s Church in Kilrush told the Irish Farmer’s Journal, “One of my parishioners, who is very concerned at the weather and its effect on people locally, requested that I say a mass. I am happy to do so”.
He said the mass on Monday, 8 April, an unsurprisingly wet day in the parish. We can only hope that Father Powell’s words have an effect sooner rather than later!
