Woman stabbed while leading rosary at Mass is named locally

A woman has been hospitalised after being stabbed while leading the Rosary at her church on Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the parish.

She was named locally as Mary McNamara, in her 50s, and is said to be in a stable condition, following the incident at Holy Cross Church, in Summerhill, Tramore, Co. Waterford.

It is understood Ms McNamara was leading dozens of parishioners in the Rosary before Mass at the church – where she attended regularly – when she was stabbed, shortly before 10am.

She was confronted near the altar by a man who stabbed her before fleeing. Emergency services, including Armed Support Unit gardaí, arrived at the scene quickly and brought the woman to University Hospital Waterford for treatment of ‘serious but non-life-threatening injuries’.

A man in his 30s from the area was arrested at a house near the church shortly afterwards, and gardaí seized a knife for technical examination. The church was closed, and a large Garda presence remained in place afterwards. Parishioners in the church at the time of the attack gave statements.

Jim Griffin, councillor for Tramore and Waterford City West, told the Irish Daily Mail that Ms McNamara is ‘well-known in the area’.

‘She would attend regularly,’ he said. ‘Everyone is just hoping for her recovery. I’ve been told by those in the church that when they ran to her aid, they weren’t aware of what had happened.

‘They heard her shout, but many would have had their eyes closed during the Rosary or were looking at the floor or too far back to see the attack. The response was so swift from gardaí and emergency services. Hopefully they averted what would have been a darker story.’

David Cullinane TD told the Mail the idea of such an attack in a church was ‘very distressing’.

‘It’s horrific enough for a woman to be set upon like this in any scenario but at Mass? I don’t think that’s something we’ve ever dealt with before,’ he said. ‘No one would have imagined this would happen in a place of worship.’

The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore said it was ‘deeply shocked’ and commended ‘the courage and presence of mind shown by parishioners who assisted during this frightening incident.’ It also thanked parish priests, gardaí and emergency services.