“Is there anything to be said for saying another mass” Well Ted..you can now live stream and never miss another mass again

There is a tradition for many of attending the beautiful choir ceremonies at Christmas time or lighting a candle. Wherever you place your faith, the peacefulness and architectural beauty of the churches and Cathedrals around DublinTown are to be admired and pose as a solace for Dubliners and tourists alike, not just at Christmas but all year round.

The busiest church in Ireland… St Teresa’s Church Discalced Carmelites and the neighbouring Priory Cafe

The Discalced Carmelites in Clarendon Street have been serving the people of Dublin for over two centuries. St. Teresa’s continues to be a quiet oasis of prayer, administered by a community of brothers and priests who live a life of prayer, contemplation and pastoral ministry. Most of us may know it as ‘that lovely church down the lane off Grafton Street’ and in fact it is a real

‘It’s probably Ireland’s busiest church,” says Fr Christopher Clarke, the prior of St Teresa’s Church and Monastery on Clarendon Street in Dublin in an interview with The Irish Times.“When you’re in here you don’t imagine you’re anywhere near Grafton Street,” says Clarke.

“We have six Masses a day, and we do nearly 30 hours of confession every week. Because of the location we get a lot of tourists in, and this year we’ve had many requests from bus tours to have Mass. Normally you’d get about one or two groups, but this year I had to make a list out to keep track of them all,” says Clarke. “We also get a lot of people in on a Sunday afternoon. They pop in to light a candle. A lot of that goes on. It’s a lovely place to just take a breath.”

Click on the image above to Live Stream at St Teresa’s!

This service, the first of it’s kind in Ireland, is immensely popular with those who live abroad and cannot attend a ceremony like a funeral perhaps or for those who are unable to leave the house. 

Mention of this beautiful church would not be complete without talking about the Priory Cafe. Tucked away behind iron gates on Clarendon Street is one of Dublin’s best kept secrets for a peaceful cuppa where coffee and tea is only €2.

ST MARY’S PRO CATHEDRAL

Known to Dubliners as ‘Pro’ and the to the local residents as ‘the Chapel in Marlborough Street’,  St Mary’s was constituted in 1825 and is one of the four mensal parishes of the Archbishop of Dublin. From time to time the Pro-Cathedral hosts events such concerts and choirs. It’s a truly gorgeous church, featuring beautiful floor tiles, a crypt, and stained glass windows. Every day there is a constant stream of people dropping in to light a candle and say a quiet prayer.

Presidents, governments and foreign ambassadors come to the Pro-Cathedral on great national occasions. The Lord Mayor and the County Council come to extend Christmas  greetings to the Archbishop on behalf of the citizens of Dublin. Tourists even include St Mary’s on sightseeing trips around the city and during the summer there are nearly as many foreign visitors as native Irish at the Sunday Masses. A full history of the Pro-Cathedral can be found here.

This image of St Mary’s Pro Cathedral above dates back to 1218 and comes courtesy of the neighboring Brannigans Bar on Cathedral Street.

ST ANN’S CHURCH

St Ann’s Church on Dawson Street maintains a very busy city centre ministry dating back to 1707. St Ann’s Church, a much loved place of worship, is also the venue for civic events, lunchtime recitals and evening concerts. The Eucharist is celebrated daily at 12.45pm (except Saturday) and the clergy are responsible for the pastoral care of two hospitals, the chaplaincy to the Royal College of Surgeons and Dublin Port – including the Mission to Seafarers Centre in the dock area and a considerable parochial ministry.

In 1878 Bram Stoker married Florence Balcombe in St Ann’s Church on Dawson St. What you might not know is that she is the former girlfriend of novelist and playwright Oscar Wilde! Read more on 5 things you probably didn’t know about Bram Stoker.

It is a popular destination with upwards of 40,000 visitors annually. Sunday Service is at 11.00am with full choir. Christians of all traditions are welcome to participate in all services and to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.