Pope Francis has appointed Mgr. Seamus Horgan, Washington DC to be Papal Nuncio. He will be ordained Archbishop on Saturday July 27th in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul. He will take up appointment to South Sudan this Autumn. Every good wish and blessing to Archbishop-elect Seamus, a native of Ennis and priest of Killaloe Diocese.
Fr. Tim O’Brien, AP, Odhrán Pastoral Area, resident in Ballywilliam to retire and become PE.
Fr. Joe McMahon, VF, Inis Cealtra to retire as VF, but continuing to offer pastoral care as AP, remaining as priest in residence in Scarriff.
Fr. Kieran Blake, Co-PP, Inis Cealtra, resident in Bodyke to take on the responsibility as VF. Work to be done in relation to adjusting Mass schedules to take account of the fact that there is only one priest under 75 now ministering in the pastoral area which has six parishes.
Fr. Pat Mulcahy, Co-PP, Scáth na Sionnaine, resident in Clonlara to retire and become PE.
Fr. Jimmy Kennedy, Kiltegan Father, to be priest in residence, working in Scáth na Sionnaine, pro-tem, living in Clonlara.
Fr. Arnold Rosney, ministering pro-tem in Brendan Pastoral Area to be Co-PP, Brendan Pastoral Area, Resident in Birr.
Fr. Michael Collins, Co-PP, VF, Tradaree Pastoral Area, to finish in Tradaree and to be to be VF in Radharc na nOileán Pastoral area, resident in Kildysart. Fr. Michael is also Episcopal Vicar for Mission and Ministry and he will continue in that role. With the volume of work to be done in various items of pastoral development Fr. Michael will be free from parish duties to work on a number of projects from July 26th until the first Sunday of Advent, December 1st, when he will take up duty in Radharc na nOileán.
Fr Albert McDonnell, Chancellor, VF, Radharc na nOileán to finish there and to be Co-PP and VF in Tradaree Pastoral Area, resident in Newmarket on Fergus while continuing as Diocesan Chancellor. The move to Tradaree takes place during early December. Fr. Albert will undertake a mini-sabbatical during October and November. He will remain in Radharc na nOileán until late September. Fr. Brendan Kyne to act as VF in the interim.
From the end of July until the end of November the Tradaree Pastoral area will take responsibility for Newmarket on Fergus, with Fr. Tom Whelan acting as a contact person for the parish of Newmarket on Fergus. Fr. Harry Bohan will continue in his role as AP for the Tradaree Pastoral area. Fr. Tom Whelan to act as VF during the interim.
Fr. Jofin Jose, PMI, The Congregation of Missionary Fathers of Incarnation, Kerala, India to be CC in Odhrán Pastoral Area, resident in Nenagh.
Two students for the priesthood, John Lupton from Roscrea and Brian Tuohy from Tulla having completed pre-seminary or propaedeutic year in Valladolid to commence formation in the seminary.
Fr. Ignatius McCormack, Principal, St. Flannan’s College, Vocations Director, continuing to visit parishes to promote Vocations following on from the designated year of promotion of Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood.
Ongoing work of Voluntary Ministers
Ministers of Pastoral Care, Catechesis and Adult Faith Formation to continue to work in the pastoral areas, parishes and at diocesan level, entering third full year of ministry.
Training of Voluntary Ministers
As a synodal church we are being invited to embrace co-responsibility at all levels of ministry. The Diocese of Killaloe see the training and empowerment of lay people as pivotal in its planning for the future. With this in mind the Diocese of Killaloe will be accepting candidates the second Lay Ministry Training Programme this autumn. It is hoped that Pastoral Areas will be in a position to nominate candidates to begin a period of discernment and reflection this autumn with the academic and formation component commencing in January 2025.
Current Situation in the Diocese
We now have 30 of the 58 parishes in the diocese with no resident priest under 75. During the year past we had meetings at pastoral area level to follow through on the Pastoral Plan, issued on Mission Sunday last year, Going forward in Faith, Hope and Love.
Gratitude
Good wishes and blessings to those retiring and sincere thanks to all, clergy, religious, lay ministers and many parishioners for the dedicated service to ministry and celebration of the faith in the diocese. Special thanks to the priests, voluntary ministers and all in Radharc na nOileán and Tradaree for facilitating the above changes.
Glossary of Terms
CC Catholic Curate
PP Parish Priest
Co-PP Co-Parish Priest
VF Vicar Forane (Leader of the Pastoral Area)
AP Assistant Pastor (Semi-Retired)
PE Pastor Emeritus (Retired)
Propaedeutic Year Pre-seminary year of study
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Le buíochas,
✠ Fintan Monahan