An Irish bishop has warned that his diocese is facing a parish staffing “crisis” as the “evident reduction in vocations to diocesan priesthood” in Ireland makes itself felt. Source: The Tablet.
Announcing this year’s clerical changes, Bishop Martin Hayes revealed that one in three of his priests in the Kilmore Diocese is aged over 75, with some due to retire this year.
Outlining Kilmore’s challenging statistics, he said that 47 per cent of the diocese’s priests are aged over 70 and 60 per cent are over 65.
The statistics show that two-thirds of the diocese’s priests are 60 or over with just 20 priests under 60. Nine of these, including priests from overseas who are serving in Ireland, are aged under 40 years.
“This means that the task of providing priests for each parish into the future in the diocese is challenging and amounts to a crisis,” the Kilmore Bishop said in a statement.
But he also said that people, deacons, priests and the bishop in the diocese “embrace the crisis of the evident reduction in vocations” as an “opportunity with God’s help to give witness to our faith”.
He said that the current situation affords the people of the diocese the opportunity for increased lay involvement in parishes, while continuing to pray for priestly vocations. It also affords them the opportunity to appreciate the “availability and giftedness of our priests from abroad”, he said.
“Together, we are embracing new models of parish ministry,” Bishop Hayes added.
Separately, Sunday saw the Augustinians in Ireland celebrate their last Mass in Cork, bringing an end to their presence in the city which dates back to 1272.
In St Augustine’s church, Bishop Fintan Gavin said Sunday’s Mass marked both the closing of a much-loved church after 84 years and the conclusion of the friars’ long ministry in Cork.
“The closing of this church brings a real and deep sense of loss to so many people,” he said, acknowledging that this was “painful” for many.
“Change can bring uncertainty and sadness,” Bishop Gavin said as he expressed the hope that, “the seed of faith which has been sown here over generations will not be lost”.
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Further warning on vocations crisis in Ireland (By Sarah Mac Donald, The Tablet)
