Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ The RTÉ broadcast of daily Mass currently has an average audience of 34,600 people per day. However, Mass on Wednesday drew an online congregation of 65,000 according to Roger Childs Commissioning Editor for religious content for the national broadcaster.
Most of the Masses are being broadcast from the Cathedral of Ss Eunan and Columba in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian SJ said he believed that “the daily broadcast by RTÉ is facilitating a spiritual communion of worshippers who, while not physically present within the church, are digitally united in faith.
“As people throughout Ireland are complying with the restrictions that are required to arrest and reverse the spread of Covid-19, the broadcasting of Mass is even more important at this time,” Bishop McGuckian said.
He encouraged viewers to participate in the broadcast by RTÉ News Now at 10.30am on weekdays.
The bishop thanked the national broadcaster on behalf of people who wish to attend Mass and can’t and also for those who don’t have access to the internet. “I ask people to spread the word to those not aware of this special broadcast but who would love to participate at Mass on television. Do tell them that Mass is broadcast at 10.30am Monday to Friday,” he said.
According to Nielsen, an independent audience measuring service, since the first broadcast on March 19 through to the end of March there was an average audience of 34,600 television viewers. This is in addition to the live streams from webcams in cathedrals and churches around the country.
Since the restrictions on public gatherings due to Covid-19 there have been efforts to bring faith into people’s homes through television, internet livestreams and radio. Vatican Television, Radio Maria Ireland, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and Shalom TV have also been broadcasting Mass on a regular basis.