Church head ‘outraged’ disabled man told to leave Mass

THE head of a Dominican church has apologised to an intellectually disabled young man who was told to leave Mass because he was making too much noise.

Fr Dominic Browne outraged members of the congregation of Black Abbey in Kilkenny when he stopped Mass on Sunday evening and said he could not go on until the young man left the church.

Black Abbey prior Anthony Morris yesterday said he wanted to “apologise unreservedly” to the young man and to those who were with him.

Fr Morris said the Dominican community condemned what Fr Browne did. “In no way could we condone such an outrage,” he said.

The National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland (NAMHI) said people with learning disabilities did make noise when expressing themselves but it was now Catholic Church policy to include people with disabilities in the Mass.

“Sometimes it’s just not possible for a person with an intellectual disability to sit quietly, but most people would not like to see them excluded,” said NAMHI general secretary Deirdre Carroll.

She said she was glad that Fr Morris had apologised and hoped lessons would be learned from the incident.

“We have all got to show a bit more tolerance and understanding for people with intellectual disabilities. And if they do make a bit of noise when we are saying our prayers, we should offer it up,” she said.

In an interview with KCLR 96FM yesterday, Fr Browne said people had come to hear him say Mass.

If people with an intellectual disability were unable to worship they should not be brought to Mass, Fr Browne insisted.

“If they can attend Mass quietly, by all means bring them,” he declared.

“I have been a priest for over 40 years. I am used to having little children cry and getting over it. But last night (Sunday) the noise was so severe that it was affecting me. I couldn’t hear the first reading.”

He said the man was crying out loudly and frequently and he would have found it difficult to continue to say Mass.

Fr Browne said he would have to stop Mass again if a similar situation occurred. “All of them [people with special needs] are different. Some are able to keep reasonably quiet. That is alright,” he said.