PARISH priests over the age of 75 are being asked to delay their full retirement because of a shortage of younger clergy.Bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh has asked four priests who have reached the retirement age of 75 to continue performing duties due to the shortage.
Announcing his diocesan clergy appointments for 2008, Dr Walsh said that the priests concerned, who are all stepping down as full-time parish priests, have agreed to remain as "priest in residence" in their parishes and will continue to perform baptism, penance, the Eucharist, marriages and funeral rites.
Dr Walsh said: "For the first time in the modern history of the diocese of Killaloe, four parish priests will retire and will not be replaced by new parish priests. All four have generously agreed to remain in position to provide those services which require the presence of a priest."
The parishes affected -- Carrigaholt, Coolmeen, Doonbeg and Cooraclare -- are all located in west Clare.
Dr Walsh said: "There will be ongoing discussions with parish pastoral councils and other parish groups to allow these priests to be relieved of other parish duties which they fulfilled in the past but which do not require the presence of a priest."
Masses
Three of the retiring priests work in a group of nine parishes in west Clare. They have already agreed on a new schedule of weekend Masses which will operate from the first weekend in August.
The trend of priests staying on after the age of 75 is a growing one, with more than a third of all priests in the diocese of Killaloe being over that age.
The statistics show that only four priests in that diocese are aged between 25 and 34, while 15 are aged between 35 and 44.
And the figures also show that there are very few studying for the priesthood to replace the ageing priest population.
Dr Walsh is set to officiate at his final ordination towards the end of this year when he ordains Reverend Fergal O' Neill.
There are two others studying for the priesthood in the diocese. Killaloe priests serve 114,000 people in 58 parishes.
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