A DUBLIN CHURCH mistakenly advertised that it was to hold a mass in memory of Osama bin Laden this Thursday.

This morning, the Howth Parish Church of the Assumption in north Dublin issued a parish newsletter with listings stating that there would be a mass held in memory of ‘Osama Bin Laden (Recently Deceased)’ on Thursday, 12 May at 10am.

The newsletter with the same listings was also posted to the church’s official website.

This picture of the listings was first posted to Facebook by Lorenzo Caira on his Old Howth page:

TheJournal.ie contacted the church this morning and spoke to a man who identified himself only as the parish priest.

He said he was just about to deliver mass and couldn’t talk but when pressed on the matter explained:

That was requested by a parishioner but it is not fully decided. Normally we put in the mass names but when the name was requested that was the name that was given..it’s an official mass at 10 o’clock. Somebody came in and requested it and it was probably written down in a hurry.

He added that there were negotiations “going to go on” and that the church would be talking with the person who requested the mass, saying he would be able to clarify the matter tomorrow.

The parish newsletter advertising the mass for bin Laden on the church’s website was taken down this afternoon.

When contacted again this afternoon the parish priest said that it was a “mistake” that the mass went into the newsletter, but confirmed there had been a request for the mass in memory of bin Laden.

The parish priest referred the matter to the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference which did not immediately return a request for comment.

One church-goer told TheJournal.ie there was “uproar and outrage” over the publication.