The HSE has denied that it has plans to close down and deconsecrate the church at Nazareth House in Sligo.
It was responding to a report in another local newspaper this week that the church was to be shut down as part of a major redevelopment of the old Nazareth House as a primary care centre.
Asked by the Sligo Weekender if the report was correct, a HSE spokesperson said:
“The HSE confirms that planning permission recently granted for Nazareth House was made for areas within the lease agreement between the HSE and Sisters of Nazareth which does not include the church.
“Any decisions with regard to the Church at Nazareth is solely a decision for the Sisters of Nazareth.
“Reference in a report regarding traffic management was an assumption by the Consultant only as the parking was to cater for all of the campus.”
“The lease agreement between Sisters of Nazareth and HSE is for 99 years.”
The traffic management report refers to a quote in the newspaper report which stated: “The church facilitates occasional funeral services. We believe the medium term plan is for the church services to cease with the building to be deconsecrated.”
The report also quoted John O’Mahoney, regional CEO of the the Sisters of Nazareth saying the nuns weren’t aware of any plan to close the church.
He said they had no plan to close it down or deconsecrate it, adding that the Sisters would not want it closed.
