Exceptional interest in the Mel Gibson film, The Passion of the Christ, has prompted UCI Cinemas to offer private screenings for large groups, and a group booking rate of one in 10 free.
It also plans to begin showings of the film, which opens in Ireland next Friday, at 11 a.m. daily, with repeated showings beginning on the hour, every hour in its Dublin cinemas at The Square Tallaght, Coolock and Blanchardstown.
Members of the Holy Family Catholic parish at Kill O'-The-Grange in Dublin have block-booked a cinema at the IMC complex in Dún Laoghaire's Bloomfield Centre for a showing of the film at 3.30 p.m. next Sunday.
Flyers distributed at Masses there last Sunday, which also invited people to a celebration of the Eucharist afterwards at 7 p.m. in the parish church, were "getting a great response", a parishioner said.
A leaflet delivered to homes in Dublin's Harold's Cross Catholic parish, concerning the ongoing Novena of Grace at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary there, has advertised a competition for six tickets to see the film, which opens on the last day of the Novena.
The leaflet asked parishioners to "pray that this film, The Passion of the Christ, will bring back many from the cul-de-sac of secularism and materialism".
Last night the parish priest at Harold's Cross, Father Ronald Neville, said he was "encouraging people to see the film because I believe it will be good for their spirituality". It was aa coincidence The Passion of the Christ opened as the Novena ("a great success") ended, but the leaflet was an opportunity to let people know about the film, he said.
Meanwhile a group calling itself Irish Christian Friends of Israel has said that members of the committee who had seen the film did not believe it was anti-Semitic.