Mass for Bruna Fonseca to be held at Cork Penny Dinners

A Mass to remember Bruna Fonseca, who died in violent circumstances in the city centre on New Year’s Day, will be held in Cork Penny Dinners on Sunday afternoon.

Ms Fonseca, 28, a native of Formiga in Brazil’s Minas Gerais province, had moved to Cork last September.

A qualified librarian, she had been working as a contract cleaner at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH).

Ms Fonseca had been socialising with friends in Cork on New Year’s Eve and was found dead at a flat in Liberty Street at 6.30am the following day.

Miller Pacheco, 29, a Brazilian native, was charged with murder at a special court sitting on Monday evening.

A Mass will be held at the Penny Dinners Craoí na Laoí centre on James Street to remember Ms Fonseca, Caitríona Twomey, Penny Dinners co-ordinator told The Echo.

Ms Twomey said some Penny Dinners volunteers had known Ms Fonseca, who worked only metres from the charity, to see.

“We just wanted to remember her, and to let her family know that we are all thinking of them at this time of sorry,” Ms Twomey said.

“We held a service for the people of Creeslough after the tragedy there last October, we had a Mass for Ashling Murphy, and we thought it would be a kind thing to do for Bruna.” 

The Mass will be celebrated by Fr Jack Twomey and take place at 2.45pm on Sunday.

A gathering in memory of Ms Fonseca will also take place at the Lough, a place she loved, at 10am on Sunday.

Ms Fonseca’s death brought to 254 the number of women who have died in violent circumstances in Ireland since 1996.