Parish team reaches out as future of church is uncertain
By Mary Dennehy
STANDING in the heart of Jobstown for 40 years, the future of St Thomas the Apostle, like many churches across the country, remains uncertain.
While there are no plans to close the church, those living locally have been invited to help ensure the future of St Thomas’s – which has been a catalyst for growth and community in the area.
St Thomas Church
St Thomas’s the Apostle is part of a grouping of Tallaght churches, with a small team of priests, looking after the parishes of Springfield, Jobstown, Brookfield and Fettercairn.
Speaking with The Echo on Wednesday, Father Bill O’Shaughnessy said: “There are no plans to close the church.
“However, St Thomas’s Church, like all churches across the country, is experiencing difficulties.
“There is a possibility of closure in the coming years, but at the moment, there is no plan.”
On Tuesday evening, Father Martin Hughes, the former Chaplain of Jobstown Community College, took to Facebook in an appeal to the community for support.
“There is a real possibility that our church St Thomas’s here in Jobstown is going to close,” Fr Hughes wrote.
“Does it matter to you that your church could be gone?
“If it does, we would like to give the people of Jobstown the opportunity to come together as a community to save our church.”
The Faceboook post garnered many messages of support, as people remembered how the community of Jobstown helped to build the church, which has been an important gathering point for families and community over the decades.
According to Father O’Shaughnessy, the parish team in Jobstown is reaching out to the community to help ensure St Thomas’s future.
“The parish team wants to engage with local people and is also reaching out to people who may have concerns over the future of their church,” he said.
“We are looking forward to what may come, we’re looking at the challenges of the future and trying to meander through the difficulties churches are experiencing, and society.
“The parish team and Fr Martin are trying to rally people around and engage people . . . raise awareness of how important the local church is in people’s lives.
“It will be a community effort to save the church as it moves into the future.”
St Thomas’s and the other three churches within its parish grouping are back open, with Fr O’Shaughnessy highlighting that number restrictions are in place and strict cleaning routines.
Anybody interested in supporting St Thomas’s into the future is invited to PM Father Martin through the St Thomas the Apostle Church Jobstown Facebook page or call the parish office on 01 4523595 or email jobstownparish@gmail.com.
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