Elaine Keogh
After hearing mass in all 32 counties, a 107-year-old woman and her granddaughter are about to head to mass in some of America’s big cities — without leaving their home in Co Meath.
Nancy Stewart is already counting down the days to her 108th birthday later this year, but to mark St Bridget’s Day on Monday she is going to experience mass from outside Ireland.
“We always planned to complete the nationwide 32 county virtual tour by the last day of January and we intend to go international from St Bridget’s day,” her granddaughter Louise Coghlan confirmed.
Ms Stewart is the oldest person in Ireland still living in their own home.
Since March, the two have cocooned in Ms Stewart’s house in Clonard, where she has embraced technology including Facebook so she can take in an average of two online masses a day.
The afternoon mass requires planning including cups of Barry’s tea, sandwiches and sometimes a few jelly sweets for good luck.
Overseas invitations
Ms Coghlan posts regular updates, including Facebook live videos with her grandmother, on her Living and Laughing with Lou page.
After they began their virtual marathon of masses, she was “flooded with messages and invitations for us to go to masses. The (virtual) car is flat to the mat but will also be heading to the airport soon.”
The overseas invitations they will take up next have come from both sides of the Atlantic including Old St Pat’s in Chicago, St Barnabas Parish in the Bronx, the Irish Pontifical College in Rome and St Anthony’s Parish, Anerley in London.
Nancy Stewart has already heard mass in all 32 counties. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson.
Ms Coghlan said the online masses and visits help her grandmother through lockdown.
“This house used to be like a train station, you wouldn’t get a seat, you’d fight for a seat! Now it is really down to just the two of us here and when granny goes quiet I know she is lonely and missing her children or grandchildren.”
Ms Coghlan moved in with her grandmother at nighttime two years ago after she broke her hip. When lockdown arrived last March, she moved in with her full-time.
As well as taking in online masses and funerals, Ms Stewart and her granddaughter have begun to phone the priest after mass.
Ms Coghlan said her Facebook page Living and Laughing with Lou, which she began in April last year, “is an outlet for people to turn to for some positive energy, positive news and an awful lot of messing.”
