29.08.2018
Bells of St Thomas’s Ring to Welcome Pope Francis
St Thomas’s Church on Cathal Brugha Street was opened to the public for free coffee and viewing on Saturday last (August 25), as huge crowds gathered around the church to welcome Pope Francis during his visit to Dublin.
The resident groups of the church, St Thomas’s Indian Orthodox Church, St George’s Brass Band and Discovery Gospel Choir also displayed a banner outside and rang its bells welcoming the Pope on behalf of the church.
While many significant visits have passed St Thomas’s through the years on its O’Connell Street side, this was the first such visit in its long history, that passed by from the back of Cathal Brugha Street.
Significantly the Pope mobile trip through Dublin began at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott Street, an area which has witnessed much of the modern ravages of drug addiction and gang violence.
The Pope passed St Thomas’s twice; firstly on his way to the Pro Cathedral on Marlborough Street and secondly from the Pro Cathedral back out onto O’Connell Street.
The previous Papal visit to Ireland occurred in 1979, during the height of the Troubles. The bell ringing was therefore greeted by many members of the public, the local GardaÍ and the leadership of the Pro Cathedral extremely positively.
