The Jesuits' church building in Limerick is to close its doors after more than 140 years of serving the Catholic community in the city.
The Very Rev Francis O'Neill confirmed yesterday that the Sacred Heart Church - in the heart of the city - is to be sold by public auction after it closes on June 30th next year.
Fr O'Neill insisted that the Jesuit community was not moving out of Limerick, and revealed that a new Jesuit centre offering "spiritual direction" would be opening in the new future.
"We are currently looking out for a new smaller home. The church and the building where we currently reside is simply too big for six people. This was not an easy decision but one which was unfortunately inevitable, given the present decline in the number of vocations," explained Fr O'Neill.
There are six priests in the Jesuit community in Limerick, the youngest of whom is aged 69.
"We are obviously very sad but we are not moving out of Limerick and we will continue to offer spiritual direction to the community from a new centre which we hope to open soon in Limerick. We hope to stay near the city centre as much as possible and of course we will continue to run the Crescent College comprehensive secondary school in Dooradoyle," added Fr O'Neill.
The decision to close the church, located in The Crescent in Limerick, was made by the Jesuit Provincial, Fr John Dardis, after consultations with many groups and individuals, including the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, and the heads of religious orders in Limerick.
"This has been a difficult decision for us and could be a painful one for the Jesuit members and the wider community," said Fr Dardis.
"We have to ensure however, that older Jesuits are not overburdened with the administration of large churches and buildings which can just become too much to bear. There are so many city centre churches in the Limerick area, too many for the current needs," he added.
Daily and weekend Masses will continue to take place over the coming months at the Sacred Heart Church, well known for its annual novena.