While these are undoubtedly difficult times for the Catholic church in Ireland, with the fall out from the Ryan and Murphy reports continuing to make headlines, it is not all bad news for the church. For the first time in some years, the Kilmore Diocese has four students in St. Patrick's seminary Maynooth studying for the priesthood.
Patrick Corrigan from the parish of Lurgan, had previously studied in Maynooth and the Irish College Rome for the priesthood, but left shortly before he was due to be ordained a deacon. He returned to Maynooth last September to continue his studies for the priesthood, after having spent a number of years teaching in Dublin.
Sean Maguire from the parish of Laragh is now in his second divinity year in Maynooth and all going well will be ordained in a couple of years time. Sean is involved in pastoral work in Virginia during the week.
Ryan Cody and Patrick Howard, both from America, are late vocations and began their studies in Maynooth last year for the Diocese of Kilmore.
Last Wednesday night in the Kilmore Pastoral Centre, Bishop Leo O'Reilly launched a new vocations promotions programme for the diocese.
New promotional posters have been produced, which highlight various aspects of
a priests work.
These posters, along with a DVD called 'You will be my Witnesses', are being sent to every parish and school in the diocese.
The aim of this programme is to invite everyone to be an active participant in praying for and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
The promoter of vocations Fr. Sean Mawn says that in developing a "culture of vocations" they are trying to create a situation where those who feel called to serve the Lord as a priest or religious will do so, seeing their decision as a normal and worthwhile career option, knowing that they have the support of their families and community.
Fr. Mawn said they are putting a vocations committee in each pastoral area with the aim of getting people to encourage and pray for vocations.
The Kilmore diocese is divided into four main pastoral areas known as deaneries, each deanery has its own Vocations Committee made up mainly of lay people.
This committee is working along with Parish Pastoral Councils and St. Joseph Young Priests Society in promoting vocations in their pastoral area.
Bishop Leo O'Reilly said this was a follow up to last year, which was a year for vocations in the church.
"We are emphasising in this poster vocation to the priesthood. We have good news to relate on that front, because in this current year we had three new students for the priesthood and four in all in Maynooth College. This is a sign and a reason for hope for the future," said Bishop O'Reilly.
He pointed out that priesthood is very important for the future of the church. "It is very important that we have people prepared to come forward and take on this very difficult task nowadays. It is a difficult time for priests and I think everyone recognises that. We need to encourage people and invite them and support them."
Bishop O'Reilly added that this new poster is all part of the invitation stage.
"All of the three people who joined us this year are mature students who have done other things with their lives - some were teaching, while others were in business. This is a new development here in our Diocese and it is a very welcome one."
It is an invitation to people to reflect and think of where they are going in their lives and to consider whether God could be calling them to a vocation to the priesthood.
He revealed that the two men from America were attracted to the priesthood for this Diocese through coming in contact with a lay prayer movement called 'Direction for our times'.
"They have lived in the country for a year and were interested in the priesthood and decided to go for the Diocese of Kilmore and we hoped they will eventually be ordained priests for the Diocese. They seem to be very happy with their decision so far."
For decades people in America and around the world had to get used to priests with Irish accents. "Now we are beginning to see that reversed mission happening and it is something to be thankful to God for at this time," said the bishop.
When asked if the forthcoming message from the Pope will have the desired effect, Bishop O'Reilly said he did not think the Pope's message would solve everything.
"We have to be realistic about that, but I think it will be a message of encouragement and a message of hope. It will not automatically heal all the hurt - I think that is a long process - I think it will above all be an invitation to all of us in the church in Ireland - lay people, priests, bishops and everybody to renewal and reconciliation."
Bishop Leo O'Reilly said as far as legal expenses have been incurred in the case of one conviction or where people have been accused in the Diocese, that has come from funds which can "be used at our discretion and not from funds directly collected from parishes and we hope to be able to continue to meet those costs in that way".
The diocese wishes to thank The Knights of St. Columbanus who kindly made a donation to the Diocesan Vocations Committee for the purpose of assisting in the promotion of Vocations. "We are very grateful for their interest and generosity," said Fr. Mawn.
He said there had been dark and depressing times for the church in recent years for both lay people, priests and religious and bishops. "I think we have learned a lot from the past. There were terrible mistakes made, so I hope that we can go forward as a more energetic and compassionate church and a church that reaches out to people and accepts where they are at," he reflected.
Fr. Noel Boylan, director of vocations, said that there were 38 first year students going for the priesthood and that was a big increase. There was a great energy around Maynooth at present and he hopes this continues.
"I have no doubt that the church will come through these difficult times and that it will become a more humble and serving church, rather than an authoritarian church.
Humility is the way of Christ and it is also the way of truth," he said.
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