Church volunteer unsuccessful in employment complaint over sale of ‘fake relics’

A veteran security volunteer who claimed he was ousted by the Augustinian Order for warning that certain “rogues” were going to try to pass off “fake relics” for sale at a church cannot proceed with an employment rights claim.The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found it had no jurisdiction to hear a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 by Frank Purcell against the holy order of friars.Purcell had spent 16 years volunteering at the church when, in October 2024, he was “summarily dismissed without any reason or basis and without any investigation being held into any issues involved and without the right of appeal or notice”, his representative told the WRC.The order’s legal team submitted that it followed “a complaint made by churchgoers”.READ MOREFrank McDonnell of the Limerick Council of Trade Unions said Purcell “made a disclosure to the order that there was some not-nice people going to arrive selling fake relics and there was an altercation at the back of the church during Mass.“Mr Purcell was very badly treated by a religious order, after giving them 16 loyal years of service, [there was] no explanation of what he was doing wrong. He was sacked for doing his job.”John Monaghan, for the order, objected to this submission.“He turned up seven days a week and twice on Sunday. He felt obliged to warn the order that these rogues were coming in,” McDonnell further submitted.It was submitted that a senior church official, an Augustinian provincial, had given a direction that Purcell was to “step down”, a message given to him by the local prior in Limerick.Monaghan said that Purcell’s WRC complaint form stated his gross weekly wages to be “€0.00”.“Where there is no consideration … there can be no employment,” said Monaghan, arguing Purcell had no standing to pursue the employment rights complaint.“It’s obvious he’s contributed to the church over many years. He’s the best interests of the church at heart, trying to deal with certain issues he’s alleged and pointed out over the years, but I’m not convinced this is an employment issue,” said adjudication officer Peter O’Brien at the hearing.In his decision, published on Friday by the WRC, O’Brien wrote there was no evidence that any contract of employment had been entered into between the parties.He found Purcell had no legal standing to pursue the complaint and dismissed it.