Sir, – Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, many essential workers have been praised for their commitment to providing essential services and in dealing with the requirements of patients, and of society in general.
Their work is truly amazing: many of them are people we rarely think of and whose work goes unnoticed or is taken for granted.
There is one group who are rarely mentioned but whose support for patients and their families in terribly sad situations is nothing short of heroic – the clergy who minister to the dying, comfort the bereaved and preside at gravesides as deceased relatives are laid to rest. In this regard, your editorial of April 13th was welcome.
Our political leaders, too, should give them credit for being in the frontline, and in the last line, at a particularly heart-breaking time for grieving families. They too are grieving with and supporting many, many families.
This is an especially difficult time for priests who celebrated the Holy Week and Easter liturgies and other services in the absence of their congregations, and continue to do so daily.
They deserve special love and support as they minister to others in faithful service of the gospel, bringing the good news of faith, hope and love to all: they should not be forgotten – as they often are – when those who provide essential services are lauded. – Yours, etc,
LORCÁN O’ROURKE,
Droichead Nua,
Co Chill Dara.