Catholics ‘horrified’ by plans to axe CofI hospital chapel

The Catholic community in Co. Donegal has rallied behind its Protestant neighbours after it was discovered that the HSE plans to axe a CofI hospital chapel.

Fr John Joe Duffy of the Church of Mary the Immaculate in Stranorlar, and chair of ‘Save our St Joseph’s’, told The Irish Catholic that his parishioners were “horrified and embarrassed” that the Church of Ireland chapel has been excluded from plans to upgrade St Joseph’s Community Hospital, without consultation with the chaplain, Rev. Adam Pullen.

Stakeholders

A public consultation meeting with the HSE was held on June 22 at the hospital, which was attended by Fr Duffy, Rev. Pullen and a range of other community stakeholders.

“The plans were so small we couldn’t see them, but a reference was made to the downsizing of the Roman Catholic chapel within the hospital to about a third of its size,” Fr Duffy said. “They had consulted with the parish priest here back over a year ago on that issue and it had also been mentioned at a previous meeting we had with the HSE.”

However, when Fr Duffy recently got a full copy of the plans he discovered that “the Church of Ireland chapel, which also serves the Reformed community, is excluded and the old CofI chapel is being changed into a day room”.

Angry

Fr Duffy said the Catholic community is “very annoyed and angry that they have not spoken to our friends in other Churches”. “It is a horrendous way for a State agency to behave towards the Protestant Churches. Why consult with one and not the other? Why treat the other as if they are irrelevant?”

Rev. Pullen told The Irish Catholic there has been “no communication to us from the HSE” and he has sent letters of complaint to the HSE, the Minister of Health and the Taoiseach.