Derry voxes - here's what people in Derry are going off for lent

The ‘Journal’ met parishioners leaving mass in St Eugene’s Cathedral to find out what they’re doing for lent.

Kathleen McGeehan “We go to mass every day. You try and live a better life; a more prayerful life. That’s not just for lent but all the time. You encourage the younger ones and be a good example for them. We’re 80 now so we need to start slowing down soon!”

Eamonn McGeehan: “I’ll be going to mass every morning. I’m already involved in voluntary things so I want to keep that up.”

Anne Gallagher: “It’s more important for me to go on things and do charitable deeds than to go off something. I have my Trócaire box here too so I’ll be donating as well."

Alma Ward: “I’m trying to be good and eat properly. I have to do that for my health but I can’t stay away from the sweet things!”

Mandy Bradley: I’m going on Christian reading because we do a Carmelite book club on a Thursday night and I’ve missed the last couple. We do that in Termonbacca one Thursday a month or so."

Donna McConnell: "Going off sweets or anything like that is too much for me! The bigger effort is trying to get out to mass a bit more during the week. It does take a bit more effort to go to mass than cutting out chocolate or anything. It won’t make me any holier but God loves a trier!”

Anna Peake: “It’s more spiritual what I’m doing. I’m trying to not break the commandments, which isn’t easy. I do my fasting too but I do that all throughout the year because I was brought up that way and I love it that way. There are people suffering in Derry with their nerves and I think they need help. They need a place that they can turn to but at least here we have mass to help them through. You see a lot of healing happening with prayer which is good because it’s the first thing we need before anything else. We need to pray for the doctors and nurses.”