The HSE has denied claims that management at Letterkenny General Hospital refused a request from staff to celebrate mass on Ash Wednesday.
Letterkenny Hospital
However it has emerged that the times allocated for the Mass in the conference room at the hospital were not found to be suitable.
Instead of receiving ashes at mass, the Chaplaincy team distributed them throughout the hospital.
Setanta Communications Ltd Dublin, speaking on behalf of the HSE said: “Management at Letterkenny General Hospital wish to confirm they did not reject any request for the celebration of mass on Ash Wednesday made either by the Chaplaincy Team or by any individual member or members of staff.”
The PR Company was responding to the Tirconail Tribune who received complaints from members at the hospital who claimed their request for the Celebration of Mass on Ash Wednesday was rejected by hospital management.
The newspaper tried to confirm what exactly is the HSE policy on the celebration of Mass within the hospital since the complaints also related to alleged religious discrimination against Catholics being a new practice within the Letterkenny General Hospital.
The reply on behalf of the HSE said: “This year there was no chapel available as it presently out of commission due to the flood. The Chaplaincy Team contacted Hospital Management to enquire about availability of the Conference Room to celebrate mass as had occurred at Christmas. This room is used for clinical multi-disciplinary team case conferences with other hospitals (e.g. video link with Galway).
“The Conference Room was offered to the Chaplaincy Team but times were unsuitable. Ashes were distributed to staff and patients throughout the hospital by the Chaplaincy Team.
“Ash Wednesday Mass will continue to be celebrated each year at the hospital as has been the tradition, when the chapel is operational again following the flood.
“Two new chapels have been designed in a partnership between Hospital Management, the Chaplaincy Team and the Hospital Design Team. Building works are scheduled to commence shortly. One chapel has been designed for Catholic worship and the other for other Christian denominations.
“This reflects Letterkenny General Hospital’s ongoing commitment to respecting the religious traditions of staff, patients and their families.”
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