Holy masstication

A priest is asking parishioners to be more considerate after two litres of chewing gum was removed from under pews at a church in Tullamore.

Fr Shane Crombie described the chewing gum as a “health and hygiene” issue and he asked his parishioners to be more considerate to both the church and their fellow mass goers.

Over the course of two days, the underside of the pews at the Church of the Assumption in Tullamore yielded a half a bucket full of chewing gum.

“This is the first major comprehensive clean that we have had in the last number of years,” explained Fr Crombie. In all, Fr Shane said the cleaning amassed “two litres in a bucket”.

He noted chewing gum is a problem in every town in Ireland but pointed out the sacred nature of the church. “Chewing gum is a reality of life, we just ask people to be conscious of other people who have to sit there as well,” he remarked. “It is disrespectful to other people as much as to the sacred place it is,” Fr Crombie remarked.

He reminded people the church was not a place where people come to eat or chew gum. However, Fr Crombie acknowledged the fact that for many people, sticking gum under a pew before going for communion can be a subconscious act.