At this moment in our nation's history, we may think that the most accurate words to describe our current predicament come from the 17th century British ballad "The World Turned Upside Down." Certainly, none of us ever expected to see our daily lives upended in the ways they have been.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are suffering most, whether from sickness, want, or loneliness. We hope and pray that the spread of the coronavirus ends soon, and that the burden, suffering, and loss associated with it be lifted quickly.
Following up on my suggestion of small church services through online signup to get around coronavirus restrictions, a reader suggested outdoor Masses. That got me to thinking of what Irish Catholics did during penal times.
Mass was illegal and persecuted in Ireland from around the 1650s to the 1750s, as the English authorities tried to stamp out Catholicism. All Catholic churches became (Protestant) Church of Ireland churches, and celebrating Mass anywhere was forbidden.
