One third of parishes Killaloe diocese have no priest under 75
ONE third of the 58 parishes in the Killaloe diocese are now without a resident priest under 75.
The stark reflection on the age profile of priests was made by Bishop Fintan Monaghan as he announced the Killaloe Diocesan appointments for 2021.
There is no change in Ahane, Castleconnell, Montpelier – the one County Limerick parish in the diocese.
In making the announcement, Bishop Monaghan acknowledged the challenges and opportunities that accompany the publication of this year’s appointments.
He expressed gratitude to a number of priests who have opted to continue ministering beyond the retirement age of 75.
He said other initiatives emerging from pastoral planning “give us much hope in these difficult times as people continue to work so hard in promoting and celebrating the faith in our diocese”.
“One of the great signs of hope in the diocese at present is the coming on-stream this year of 25 lay people trained in the area of pastoral care and catechetics. I look forward to working collaboratively with them in the pastoral areas of the diocese,” said Bishop Monaghan, who also expressed thanks to the Covid committees and the many volunteers who have worked so hard to ensure that churches and places of worship are as safe as possible during the past year and a half.
Separately, in his transfers and appointments 2021 for the Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly, Archbishop Kieran Reilly expressed his “sincere thanks to the priests and the many parish volunteers throughout the archdiocese who have worked so hard over the past year and a half to ensure the life of the church has continued in these most challenging of times”.
“The past months have brought us moments of joy when we were able to reopen our churches but also moments of disappointment when we had to postpone the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation for 2021,” said Archbishop O’Reilly.