Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Most Rev Dr Kieran O'Reilly, has advised the 500-plus parishioners of Ballinahinch-Killoscully that, for the first time in its history, the parish will not have a priest resident in the parish going forward.
The parish is to become the only within the Combination of Parishes (Newport-Birdhill-Toor, Ballina-Boher, Ballinahinch-Killoscully, and Murroe-Boher, and the first within the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly in North Tipperary to be without a resident priest.
The archbishop visited the parish last week to outline to the parishioners, the pastoral arrangements going forward which mean that due to the decline in the number of priests it is no longer possible to provide a resident priest in every parish.
Speaking at St Joseph's Church, Ballinahinch, where a large number of parishioners had gathered for his visit, he said: "We in the archdiocese of Cashel and Emly are very fortunate. We have a very dedicated group of priests working who are from the diocese, but we are moving into the stage where other diocese find themselves right now.”
He outlined that the adjoining Diocese of Killaloe, where he had previously ministered for a number of years, has 26 parishes without a resident priest and he appealed for the support and commitment of the community to become involved to ensure the continuity of the services within the church into the future.
Archbishop O'Reilly said that going forward within the church is a continuing concern for him "to facilitate and develop the growing future of the church which essentially more or less depends on yourself".
He added: "You have a beautiful parish. You know the history of it and the background of it and all that is involved and what I am asking of you tonight to do is to commit yourself again to the work of the parish.”
He explained: "Going forward you won't have a resident priest here in the parish, but you will have an administrator of the parish, Fr John O'Keeffe, who is parish priest of your neighbouring parish of Newport and Fr Tom Lanigan-Ryan (Ballina-Boher) is the Moderator of this combination of parishes.
"What we are moving towards and what I am asking you is to help towards a way that you here can be better representatives of the church, because no matter what way we go forward, ultimately is yourselves that are the backbone of the parish and you have shown that over generations.
"Within the new arrangements you will continue to have all the masses that you need and continuation of all the services but I do think that it will mean a bigger participation by yourselves in this beautiful parish," he said.
He described Ballinahinch as a lovely parish with a very vibrant community who operate within their own network and it is the intention to retain the parish boundary structures as they currently are.
The intention is to maintain the present frequency of Masses, but Mass times may have to be changed, while there is no plan to close any churches within the group "down the road it could depend on how communities are using them".
The 'Seeds of Hope', which was introduced about two years ago, after widespread consultation within parishes throughout the archdiocese, is being reviewed this autumn to assess what progress has been made, reconsider things that have not been done and maybe add new things towards achieving the objective to becoming "a missionary church in this age" to achieve which makes a call on all to play their part.
Parishioners from both sides of the parish, expressed appreciation and thanks on behalf of the parish, to Rev Fr James O'Donoghue, PP, for his work and support to all over the past five years since his appointment, and wished him well for the future.
Refreshments were served at the adjoining Community Centre by the parish committee, where the parishioners were joined by the archbishop who met and chatted with many of them over the 'cuppa'.