Church-goers are less likely to get depression, age more slowly and don’t die as early as others, according to one of Ireland’s leading authorities on ageing.

Principal investigator of The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing (TILDA), Prof. Rose Anne Kenny told The Irish Catholic that not only would there be social utility in churches reaching out to welcome Ireland’s lonely, but that “it must happen”.

“We’ve certainly shown in Ireland that people who take part in religious practices are less likely to get depression. They seem to have a slowing down of the aging process and they die later – they don’t die as early as people who don’t take part in religious services but also experience loneliness.

Prof. Kenny insisted: “definitely religious services make a difference to social engagement. We’re not sure if it’s the spiritual effect or whether the engaging with others and being involved in part of a community, because we are gregarious animals and we need other people”.