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Hopes dashed as Hyde Park Mass is cancelled
By Fiona Audley
ORGANISERS who anticipated holding a long-awaited St. Patrick’s
Day Mass in London’s Hyde Park this year have had their hopes dashed
at the last minute.
Disappointed members of the Council of Irish Counties Association (CICA)
have learnt this week that, after months of planning, the event they hoped
would take place in the park on Sunday, March 16, could no longer go on.
The decision, made on Friday, February 29 by Royal Parks — who maintain
eight of London’s popular green spaces — effectively scrapped
two months’ of hard work by Association members.
They had planned to hold a 10am celebration, an event last seen there
in 1969, at the park bandstand, inside the Queen Elizabeth gate.
Seating for the event, expected to draw at least 500 Londoners, had already
been sought and Bishop Christopher Jones of the Diocese of Eltham was
confirmed as the celebrant.
Counsel chairman John Connolly said: “We were all ready to go ahead
but we had a meeting last week and were told it cannot actually go on.
“It is in their constitution that religious events cannot be held
in the parks and it seems there was some confusion along the way.
“It’s a shame and we are very disappointed but there is little
we can do about it.”
Fellow CICA member and chairman of the London Wexford Association Michael
Sills was also involved.
He said: “It would have been a wonderful event to raise the profile
of the Irish community in London and a momentous occasion as Mass has
not been held in Hyde Park since 1969.”
A Royal Parks spokesperson said: “This could not go ahead because
we do not allow any religious events to be held in the parks.
“We had been in talks with the Council but nothing had been confirmed
and once it became apparent that their event was religious they were told
it could not go on.”
The Mass will now go ahead at 9am at the London Irish Centre in Camden
on March 16 and a breakfast will be served which must be pre-ordered with
the centre on 020 7916 2222. |
