19th Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

Thomas asked me to attend the monthly Mass in Newbridge because he was away this month. I was happy to do so as it makes a change from the Latin Mass in Dublin. It's also nearer to me. I had attended twice previously and knew that the attendances are generally fairly low but I was unprepared for the attendance of 9 at a Sunday Mass, especially when the Priest celebrated alone in the sanctuary without even a single server. There was a general invitation to tea after Mass on previous Sundays, which I didn't accept because I wasn't comfortable walking right past the tabernacle (within inches) to have tea in a chapel directly behind the Blessed Sacrament. However, even the invitation to tea was absent on this occasion. This is all very disappointing after nearly two years. I don't think that the ('traditional') split at the beginning can entirely explain why things have gone from bad to worse. At any rate, I think there is no excuse for not having a server present. Katherine will add the statistical table later.