Churchgoers need to book online to attend Masses

It’s been revealed that people of many faiths hoping to worship in public after months of Covid 19 lockdown must reserve a seat in their chosen place of prayer.

At St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry, for example, a booking system is in place for weekend Masses.

This is, say church leaders, to ensure the safety of everyone and is in line with current government regulations on social distancing.

People looking to attend Mass are asked to download a booking form from the St Eugene’s website, fill it in and email it back to the parish office.

Alternatively, people can call the St Eugene’s parochial house (02871262894) where someone will complete a form for you between 9am-5pm daily.

The arrangements, however, haven’t gone down too well with some parishioners who have expressed anger via social media.

On the St Eugene’s Facebook page, one person wrote: “Might as well just keep them closed until everything is safe, never heard anything as ridiculous, online booking for mass.”

Another said: “I think this is ridiculous. What if you go to book and you’re told, we have our quota for today. Try again tomorrow.”

Another person posted: “Don’t blame the church or the priests. We all have to abide by the government guidelines because of the virus. Please be patient.”

In response, a spokesperson for St Eugene’s said: “The measures are to keep people safe, we are required to follow the government guidelines. Please note these measures are only temporary.”

It’s understood that, with the 2 metre distancing rule, St Eugene’s has the capacity to hold approximately 100 people.

At some Sunday Masses prior to the lockdown, there were more than 700 people in the church.

St Eugene’s says the NI Executive could decide that the church may only be allowed to admit 50 people - similar to the rule in the Republic.