MISSIONARY zeal has arrived on the streets of Dublin with the appointment of an evangelical priest to bring Catholics back to the church. Yesterday, Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin began to act on his promise to have somebody knock on every door in the diocese next year to reconnect with lapsed Catholics.
At Easter he declared Dublin “mission territory” and yesterday appointed Fr Ciaran O’Carroll as the diocese’s new episcopal vicar.
Dr Martin said Fr Carroll will lead an office devoted to reaching out to young people and putting the church at the heart of social justice in its 200 parishes.
“It will co-coordinate the work of education in the faith, liturgical and scriptural animation, outreach to young people —, and work for justice and charity.
“One of the priorities for the new office will be the evangelisation of the family, the fundamental base for passing on the faith to young children,” said a diocesan statement.
Fr Carroll was previously based in Saggart, west Dublin, and is an expert in religious history.
He studied in Dublin and Rome before returning to work in four different parishes in Dublin and has been an administrator for the diocese.
His appointment came on the back of a commitment by Dr Martin to devote next year to re-establishing a link with ordinary Catholics.
He made the promise on Holy Thursday after an Irish Examiner survey revealed Dubliners were the least religious, the most indifferent mass-goers and were more inclined to have moral beliefs contrary to those of the church.
It found in Dublin just 58% prayed and 40% went to mass every month.
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