Churches find themselves in lockdown like everyone else, and they are closed for public worship, but there are still open hearts of kindness and generosity. The ministry of the Church continues and a host of ways have been found to keep in touch with parishioners and to reach out to local communities.

Two Cork churches – St Mary’s, Carrigaline and St John’s Monkstown – brought Mothering Sunday gifts of daffodils to the gates of the churches for passers-by to take away as a reminder of all this.

Carrigaline Union of parishes would,  in normal times,  give out posies of daffodils to every woman in the congregation at Services on Mothering Sunday. For the second year running the churches were closed and so bunches of flowers, picked locally by parishioners,  were placed outside the gates of both St John’s church in Monkstown and St Mary’s church in Carrigaline. Colourful posters encouraged passers by to take some flowers, with the blessing of the Parish, home with them on this special day.