A community in Fahan is campaigning to reinstate the Saturday Vigil Mass at their parish church, St Mura’s, after its recent cancellation.
Effective this week, the 7.15pm Mass at St Mura’s in Fahan is no longer part of the weekly schedule.
The nearest Saturday Vigil Mass will now be held at St Aengus’ in Burt at 6pm.
Buncrana parish priest Fr Francis Bradley described the decision as “regrettable” but necessary due to a shortage of priests.
Addressing the congregation at the final vigil Mass in Fahan on Saturday, Fr Bradley stated that this arrangement would remain in place for the foreseeable future. He added, “If we have more priests appointed to us, I guess we could re-engage with the Vigil Mass.”
“The priesthood is not able to serve any more than we can,” he explained.
Following recent retirements and the deaths of local priests, including Fr Oliver Crilly of Castlefin, the Diocese of Derry currently has eight vacant positions.
The altered schedule in Fahan has sparked local concerns about road safety, anticipating increased attendance at Burt Chapel.
Burt Chapel – By Declan McGuinness/Twitter
A committee of approximately 10 people has been formed to engage with the Parish and advocate for the return of the Vigil Mass to Fahan.
Their primary concern is road safety at Burt Chapel, which offers fewer parking spaces compared to St Mura’s in Fahan.
They argue that the Burt chapel’s location adjacent to the busy N13 road poses safety risks for roadside parking, particularly for individuals with mobility issues and families with young children.
The committee has gathered over 500 signatures through a petition, available both in-person and online, urging the continuation of Saturday Vigil Mass at St Mura’s.
Committee member Michael Andrew Bonner expressed hope that the petition demonstrates strong community support for Fahan as a safer alternative for the Mass, rather than portraying it as a campaign driven by a small group.
“As a person of 27 years old, I have seen multiple friends lost to roads in our community in my years and feel it is at the very least in my capacity and resources at my disposal to try and not add to it,” Bonner stated.
Bonner clarified that the issue is not with Burt Chapel itself, but with the potential safety concerns arising from an additional 200 Mass attendees regarding access and parking.
Fr Bradley has requested patience and prayers for an improvement in the parish’s situation.
He expressed disappointment at having to discontinue a Mass that was so well attended.
“In the intervening weeks, various alternatives have been proposed, of alternating Masses week about, or month about, but the anecdotal evidence of where that has been tried is that people only attend Mass every other week or every other month, only when it is convenient,” Fr Bradley explained.
“We are not a convenience store, we are a church, we are here to worship God.”
“I do apologise for the inconvenience that this causes, but it is the simple reality in which we live,” he added.
Fr Bradley hinted that the reasoning behind the decision would become clearer in the future, suggesting further changes are on the horizon.
“It’s not because we wish to do less, it’s because when everything is in place and when further changes affecting both of us (Fr Bradley and Fr Baker) take place in the coming months, perhaps this will be more understandable,” he said.
“I am disappointed that, in the end, that it wasn’t the parish church that retained the vigil Mass, that is in the hope that it will be the Parish church that retains Mass on a Sunday morning, because that is what the cold choices will have to be.”
Campaign underway after Fahan loses weekly Mass amidst priest shortage was last modified: July 1st, 2025 by
