Priest holds mass in Irish pub after church closure

A priest has revealed that he turned an Irish pub into a makeshift church after he couldn't find a venue for Sunday mass.

Father Michael Cusack from County Galway is a parish priest in Luxembourg.

He said he was "stuck for a place to go" after his church closed for renovations.

"We have a big congregation, over a thousand in number. I checked several churches here (Luxembourg) but times clashed."

He said finding an alternative venue was beginning to seem like an impossible task, but a friend suggested the owners of a local Irish pub.

"I got a number and called them," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

Adrienne and Vincent Clarke, originally from Sligo and Louth, run Eirelux pub in the centre of Luxembourg city.

Whilst on holiday in Lanzarote, Adrienne got an unexpected call.

"I was relaxing on holiday and the phone rings with a very official voice," said Ms Clarke.

"I thought, oh, this has to be a scam, this is not real. This guy is really, really good."

After listening to the priest's plight Ms Clarke agreed to help.

"I told him to call in the next week. If it's a scam, he won't turn up."

Father Michael did show up and held mass for two Sundays in a row, until he found somewhere else to hold service.

The pub is normally closed on Sundays, but Father Michael said it opened "after the second mass" and they had "wee pints of Guinness".

BBC presenter Sarah Brett asked the priest if this unlikely story had shamed the diocese.

"I think that's how it should be phrased but maybe politically we can't say that," said Father Michael.

"But they (the diocese) were annoyed we couldn't find a place," added the priest.

"We had a lovely afternoon and a bit of singing. Life ticks on."