The bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacois, Dr Colm O`Reilly, has warned that the shortage of priests in his midlands diocese is becoming “stark” and is now the most serious challenge it faces. The bishop revealed that because of the collapse in new vocations, the number of priests in the diocese has fallen by 40 oer cent in 25 years.
Of the 60 priests now serving in the diocese, only five are under 40, and ten are due to retire within the next ten years, while there are only two seminarians in the pipeline.
Bishop O'Reilly said the Church would have to be “active in trying to plan for the future realistically and constructively, within the constraints of decreased availability of ordained priests”.
He said more definite proposals would be made later in the year to address the problem.
Dr O’Reilly made the remarks in a letter in which he said the diocese faced a “looming shortage of priests” which was “the most serious issue facing the church today”.
He described the letter as a discussion document and urged each parish to discuss the situation and give him their views.
The bishop, who is celebrating his silver jubilee as bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois this year, has seen the number of working clergy drop from 100 to 60 in that time.
“It will clearly not be possible for a diminished number of priests to provide a Mass every weekend in every church,” he warned, but said he was reluctant to see any church closed completely as long as the community worshipping in it was able to maintain it in reasonably good condition.
“I would like to see every church continue to be available for baptisms, marriages and funerals, insofar as people wish to use them,” Dr O’Reilly suggested.
“It may be possible to provide at least one weekday Mass in most churches and certainly Masses for special occasions”.
The bishop said that some church services do not require an ordained priest and many lay people in the diocese have been improving their knowledge of Scripture and been trained as Eucharistic Ministers.
“With proper training provided by the diocese more people could take greater responsibility for various services in their own local church” he suggested.
“There is a very strong tradition in Ireland of supporting people at times of bereavement and this could prove to be another ministry which could be developed with the help of lay people”.
“For example, leading prayers at the removal of remains and at gravesides does not require the services of an ordained priest”.
Bishop O’Reilly said the possibility of training people as pastoral leaders to be employed and paid on a full-time or part time basis was also to be considered.
The neighbouring diocese of Elphin recently launched a diaconate scheme under which lay men are being invited to train as voluntary part-time deacons and perform baptisms, weddings and funerals.
The Archdiocese of Dublin is currently recruiting people to work as Parish Pastoral Workers. The applicants must be baptised Catholics recommended by their parish community with a third level theology or religious education degree and driving licence. The salary scale is from €38.000 to €48,000.
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