Mass-goers applaud priests

ONE man inspired a congregation of several hundred Mass-goers to stand and applaud the priests of their parish on Sunday.

On the day the Pope’s pastoral letter was published, prompting walk-outs at Masses in Dublin, and a verbal attack on Bishop Bill Murphy in Kerry, Joe Manning, a long-serving minister of the Word in Ballincollig, Co Cork, led a remarkable show of public support at 12.30pm Mass in the town’s Christ Our Light church.

Several hundred people were at the Mass, celebrated by Fr James McSweeney.