No need to turn water into wine! A priest says mass at an Irish pub in Luxembourg after his church was forced to close for renovations.
A priest has been forced to perform a mass in an Irish pub in front of 250 followers after his church was forced to close its doors for renovations.
Vincent and Adrian Clark, the owner of the Irish pub and restaurant in Luxembourg, said they initially thought Father Michael Cusack’s emergency call was a prank.
The couple, originally from Sligo and Louth, were already on holiday when they received an unusual request.
According to the couple, Father Michael had heard that the pub was quite large with plenty of parking and had insights that since business was usually closed on Sundays anyway, he asked if they would mind letting him get ready to serve him.
‘I initially thought this must be a scam,’ said Adrienne. You won’t believe it, I said to Vincent, but an Irish priest just called to say Mass in our pub!
Father Michael Cusack (left) set up an altar in the tavern so he could perform Mass for 250 of his local parishioners
Talking to LMFM Radio’s Late LunchShe continued, “Vincent fell in place laughing and then said, ‘No, seriously, who was on the phone?'” “
But when they found out that the call was real, the couple did not hesitate to help the father in his mission.
Once he received permission, Irish Redemtorist priest Father Michael erected his altar in an 800-square-meter warehouse-turned-pub.
It was parked under the sign of Hop House 13, and remained there for two weeks so that his parishioners could come and say Mass while his church was closed.
Adrienne and Vincent set up the pub, restaurant and whiskey shop, called The Irish Bar, in 2016, and say it’s often the point of contact for Irish people moving to Luxembourg.
Father Michael, originally from Galway, Ireland, had never met the couple but had heard about the pub and its size.
The Irish pub and restaurant is usually closed on Sundays, so this means that the business will not lose revenue.
With an altar set up and the word hidden, Father Michael says 250 of his parishioners joined him on Sundays at the end of January, while another 250 joined the online service.
Father Michael, who lives in a Monastery of the Redeemer revealed that the church was closed for renovations by the state Archaeologists there were trying to discover if any walls were built underneath.
According to the priest, the excavations could last for up to six years, and the closure meant that the entire congregation, consisting of 1,000 English-speaking Catholics, was displaced.
The former warehouse was converted into a bar and restaurant in 2016 by Adrienne and Vincent Clarke
“We had mass there (Adrian and Vincent’s Tavern) a couple of Sundays, and after that, I think that was enough to embarrass the diocese into trying to find us a new place,” he said.
Father Michael joked that although he did not turn water into wine during the two services, on the last day they opened the bar afterwards and had a “wonderful celebration”.
After the pub mass, Father Michael has now moved to three different churches in Luxembourg so that he can continue his ministry.
Adrienne and Vincent tell Father Michael that he and his sons are welcome back if they ever need the place again.
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