IT is becoming “increasingly difficult” to manage Catholic Church parishes in one of Ireland’s largest dioceses due a priests shortage a bishop has warned.
Retirement among the clergy and a lack of new vocations over successive years has left the Diocese of Killaloe struggling to maintain “full cover” to the five counties it serves.
The vocations crisis prompted the Diocese to initiate a vocations promotion in parishes across Clare, Laois, Offaly, Limerick and Tipperary.
Launched in 2023, to coincide with the Church’s Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood, the campaign has so far visited two thirds of the parishes and will continue into 2025.
This week it was confirmed that, for the first time in two decades, three new vocations have been recorded in the Diocese, with men from counties Clare and Tipperary signed up to enter the seminary in Maynooth later this month.
“As the third largest Diocese in the country, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain full cover across the five counties due to retirements and a lower number of vocations,” Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan said.
“I am delighted that we have been successful in reaching those who had been considering a vocation and helping them in making the next step.”
Diocese of Killaloe Vocations Director Father Ignatius McCormack pictured at St. Flannan's College in Ennis. (Photo Eamon Ward)Vocations Director Father Ignatius 'Iggy' McCormack has visited 60 per cent of parishes in the Diocese over the past 12 months and will be undertaking visits to the remaining parishes over the coming months.
Fr McCormack, who is also the Principal of St. Flannan’s College in Ennis, is using those parish visits to start “family conversations” about men in the parish who may want to join the priesthood.
“Our vocations initiative is aimed at encouraging people to discover more about vocations on the Diocesan website,” Fr McCormack said.
“Meanwhile, our parish church visits have helped to kickstart conversations within family groups, with local priests and in communities across the Diocese on the vocation of priesthood.”
He added: “We are very hopeful that we can build on the progress made since we launched our vocations drive last year and are encouraging anyone who feels they have a vocation to priesthood to reach out and talk about their vocation with their family, friends, local priest or the with me.”
Currently just over half of the 58 parishes in the Diocese of Killaloe are served by a resident priest.
