Laura Watters collects a few extra Holy Water bottles for others in her community. On Easter Sunday, people started to gather – observing physical distancing – outside the locked doors of Holy Cross Church in Dundrum, south Dublin. The streets were eerily quiet, and people nodded and exchanged warm smiles from a distance. As the clock struck 2pm, the doors of the 19th Century church swing open and Fr John Bracken accompanied by a couple of volunteers carried out a large table with hundreds of little bottles of holy water.
Easter Water – blessed during the Easter ceremonies – is an important sacramental in the Church and many Catholics keep it in their homes. Conscious of this, and aware that public Masses remain suspended, Fr Bracken decided some weeks ago to think outside the box and hold this creative outreach event.
“We decided to do this because on Easter Sunday so many people would be unable to come to the church…we wondered is there a way we can reach out and bring a bit of Easter joy and hope to people? So, we thought holy water – our baptism is what connects us,” Fr Bracken told The Irish Catholic.
So, it was decided to order 800 small bottles and bless the holy water at Mass.
Neighbours
Fr Bracken said he was “quite astounded at the number of people who are coming to collect bottles to bring to different neighbours. We said it was a drive-by or run-by or walk-by event and the number of cars stopping and getting out and picking up bottles for the neighbours is lovely.”
In the hour, 650 bottles of holy water were distributed, and Fr Bracken was joined by Fr Liam Belton PP from St John the Evangelist in Balinteer and Deacon Corcoran.