Parishioners in Broken Hill are calling for a
bishop to be appointed to properly lead the Wilcannia Forbes Diocese,
reports the ABC.
Almost 200 people attended a public meeting Monday night with members of a committee investigating the future of the diocese.
While there have been suggestions it should be disbanded because it
is without a bishop and has a shortage of priests, Monsignor Robert
McGuckin, who chaired the meeting, says overwhelmingly people want to
retain the diocese.
"I think also they were talking about leadership there, that they ...
see the problems with shortages of priests but they really feel they
need a bishop who can even lead the priests.
Monsignor McGuckin says parishioners' opinions will be considered.
Several parishioners say they have felt left in the dark over the
troubles in the diocese for too long, and have also expressed fears of
what would happen to the area if the diocese was disbanded.