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After his church was indefinitely closed by the state for archaeological explorations and renovations, Fr Micheal Cusack had to look for a new place to hold his mass.
One of Father Cusack's congregation members suggested reaching out to the owners of The Irish Pub in Howald, as pubs are typically closed on Sundays.
When Vincent and Adrienne Clarke received the call, they first thought it was a prank. However, they readily agreed to the request to hold the mass in their pub.
The heartwarming story went viral in April and was featured in multiple Irish newspapers, as well as BBC Northern Ireland and Radio-Canada. He has also been receiving texts from around the world.
Live stream of a Sunday mass
Father Cusack was invited to Melissa Dalton's show, the Home Stretch, on RTL Today Radio, where he emphasised how church is more about the community than the building.
Father Cusack's congregation, which has around 1,000 members, is a diverse mix of Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and even some Muslims who attend his English-language mass.
The church he usually conducts his mass in had to close down due to the possibility of existing city walls beneath it. But even before explorations could be done, the church had to be closed down for renovations, as it's a very old building.
His search for alternative venues proved to be challenging and as he describes it "a clash of times", given that the Sunday morning slot is very sought after.
The result? The unique idea of holding his mass in The Irish Pub in front of 250 members and another 250 joining online. The experience was a success and proved that "church is possible in lots of places".
Before coming to Luxembourg, Father Cusack spent a few years in Brazil during the 80s, where he hosted a biweekly show on a local radio station, playing church songs and announcing upcoming gospels for the rural community.
If you would like to listen to his full story and his thoughts on Luxembourg, listen to the full interview here.
Fortunately, Father Cusack has found a permanent replacement, with Sunday morning mass now held in a packed Belair church at 11 am and a Sunday evening mass for young professionals in St Michel church at 8 pm.
