In response to this morning’s announcement by Pope Francis, Archbishop Eamon Martin has congratulated Father Paul Dempsey, a priest of the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, on his appointment as the new Bishop of Achonry.
Archbishop Eamon Martin said, “I wish to congratulate Bishop-elect Dempsey whom Pope Francis has appointed as the new Bishop of Achonry. His service to the Church, particularly in the areas of youth ministry, communications and on matters concerning faith and culture, is well known and will provide a great foundation for his pastoral leadership as a diocesan bishop.”
Archbishop Eamon continued, “Since 2015, Bishop-elect Dempsey has been parish priest of Newbridge – one of the largest and most vibrant parishes in the country. He is known as a hard-working and caring pastor who will no doubt be missed greatly by the people, clergy and religious of his native diocese. The pastoral experience and wisdom he has gained in Kildare & Leighlin will be of huge benefit to him as he takes up the role of shepherd of God’s people in Achonry. I also look forward to his contributions to our discussions at the Episcopal Conference as we move into a new time of mission for the Church in Ireland during the 2020’s. I wish him all God’s blessings as he begins this new chapter of his ministry as Bishop of Achonry.”
Archbishop Eamon also expressed his gratitude to Father Dermot Meehan who had been serving as the Diocesan Administrator of Achonry. He said, “Father Meehan has been very generous in leading the Diocese of Achonry during the interim period since Bishop Kelly’s move to Galway. He has faithfully attended the plenary meetings of the Bishops’ Conference in Maynooth and offered valuable insights to our deliberations which were grounded in the reality of pastoral ministry today in the West of Ireland. Father Meehan has always spoken highly of the priests and people of his diocese and he is clearly a gentle and generous pastor. I thank him for his diligent work at conference level, and for his pastoral leadership as Diocesan Administrator of Achonry, since February 2018.”
ENDS
- Archbishop Eamon Martin is the Primate of All-Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh and Apostolic Administrator of Dromore.
- The Diocese of Achonry includes parts of counties Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo. The Patron Saint of the diocese is Saint Nathy. The diocese has a Catholic population of 34,826 and consists of 23 parishes and 48 churches. There are 30 diocesan priests in active ministry in the diocese and eight others who are working in other dioceses, retired, studying or on sick leave.
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm +353 (0) 87 310 4444.
