Caption Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin, who will be installed on today, 30 March, as Bishop of Achonry in the Cathedral of the Annunciation and Saint Nathy, Ballaghaderreen (Catholic Communications Office archive)
Homily
“Belonging to the Church means being part of the one People of God, composed of people and communities living in concrete times and places”. Over the past twelve months, I have begun to learn a bit more about the Diocese of Achonry, its history and its culture. I was particularly interested in the story of Saint Attracta. Growing up in the early part of the sixth century, as you know, she is associated with Killaracht, where she established a monastery and a pilgrim hostel. When she was still in her teens, she met with resistance when she discerned that she was called to religious life. In that challenging time, she went to stay close to the monastery at Drum, near Boyle in County Roscommon, where her brother Conal was the Bishop. This, for me, has become a symbol of the close connections between our two Dioceses of Achonry and Elphin, and of our shared tradition of faith. The preparatory document for the second session of the recent Universal Synod expresses this balance nicely, reminding us that: “the gift of the Gospel is offered to people and communities living in particular times and places, not closed in on themselves but bearers of stories that must be recognised, respected, and opened to broader horizons”. Without that openness, there is no possibility of mission.
During this Holy Season of Lent we are invited to become more fully the people that God has called us to be. This Sunday is traditionally called Laetare Sunday (the Sunday of rejoicing). We can rejoice because, while our journey of renewal is still a work in progress, we can begin to see the destination ahead; the celebration of Easter and, with it, the celebration of what it means for us to be disciples of Jesus, Baptised into the new life of the Resurrection.
There is, of course, a parallel between our celebration of Lent and the time that the people of Israel spent in the wilderness, after they left Egypt and before they arrived in the promised land. This journey took about forty years, but Scripture scholars tell us that it could have been completed in two weeks. Was this because the people were dragging their heels, or because God was simply taking his time with them? The time in the wilderness was a time of intimacy with God, when the twelve tribes of Israel were formed into a Holy people.
Our first reading from the Book of Joshua describes the moment when the people crossed the River Jordan and took possession of the land. It was a very significant moment. It represents the fulfilment of a promise that God made to Abraham and his descendants, many generations before. As the Scriptures tell us, this was not an ending; it was a new beginning. God continued to form his people and to call them to holiness and justice, through the teaching of the prophets.
I think this reading speaks to our experience as two dioceses which are called into a new kind of relationship. We have spent the past twelve months working more closely together and getting to know one another. Today, Pope Francis has, once again, given the Diocese of Achonry a Bishop. Today also, with the joining of our two dioceses “in the person of the Bishop”, we are a bit like the people of Israel crossing the River Jordan. We have entered into a “new space”, which presents us with all sorts of possibilities to grow together as the people of God.
Looking back over the past year, we can see that many good things have happened:
- We have been listening to one another and learning from one another
- We are joining together for our Diocesan pilgrimages to Lourdes, Rome and Knock
- Our leadership teams are working more closely together
- We have one Synodal team instead of two
The people of Israel needed to put structures in place to enable them to live in the land that God had given them. They now had a place, but in another sense they were still called to be pilgrims from one generation to the next. In much the same way, we will need to review our structures to make sure that they are appropriate to the needs of the 21st Century, and of our new relationship. But we also need to remember that the whole reason for undertaking this journey is so that we can more effectively carry out the mission that is entrusted to us by Jesus himself. That mission is to turn our parishes into communities which, as well as baptising babies, form people to be life-long disciples. All our structures must serve that purpose.
- We need to have hearts for mission
- Our parishes need to be communities of welcome, and not just service providers
- We need on-going formation in faith, and we cannot expect a life-time of discipleship to be sustained simply by what we have learnt at school
- We need to find ways to facilitate the active involvement of young adults in the liturgical and pastoral life of the Church
- We need to recognise the gifts of lay women and men, to invest in forming them for mission and ministry and to facilitate their full participation
- We need to rediscover the social mission of the Church; the outreach to those who are on the margins, and the work of justice
- We will continue to need priests for the Eucharist and for the celebration of the Sacraments
Any bishop or priest who thought he had all the gifts necessary for this mission would be making a big mistake. Our Gospel passage today is the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and I believe that this also has much to say to us. Looking at the Parable in the way we usually do, we are being reminded how easy it is for relationships to be undermined by selfishness, lack of gratitude, petty jealousy, thoughtlessness, and a sense of entitlement. These things surface wherever people gather and there is no point in pretending that they are not sometimes part of the experience of life in our Church. For that reason, we are constantly being called both to conversion and to reconciliation. As Saint Paul tells the people of Corinth (second reading) “It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation”.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son begins with the words: “A man had two sons….” The parable is really more about the Father than about the sons. In telling this story, Jesus wants us to notice the kind of love that the Father has for each of his sons. He loves them both, he loves them equally, but he loves each of them in a unique way. I think the image of the Father, who stands on the doorstep waiting for one son, and goes out into the field to be close to the other, challenges each one of us, as sons and daughters, to grow into the image of the Father. As Saint Paul says: “For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here”.
As you will appreciate, the image of the Father who “has two sons”, has a particular resonance for a bishop who has two dioceses. The mission of a Bishop, in the traditional language of the Church is to “teach”, to “sanctify” and to “govern”. I understand that, in order to do those three things, I must “learn”; I must become more “holy” and “prayerful” and I must be “obedient”, particularly to the Holy Spirit, to the Word of God and to the essential faith of the Church. So, as I renew my commitment today to serve you, the people of our two dioceses, I ask your prayers and your practical support in being the bishop I am called to be.
I thought it might be no harm, finally, to recognise that Moses himself never made it into the promised land. He only got a glimpse of it from Mount Nebo, on the far side of the Jordan. As Bishop of Achonry and Bishop of Elphin, I am delighted to be able to see “the promised land”, even if it is still a bit in the distance. While I look forward to finishing the job, that is really in God’s hands and in yours. The more important thing for all of us to remember is that, while Bishops come and go, it is the Spirit of God who leads us and if we walk with Jesus, we will eventually get to where God wants us to be.
ENDS
- Background for media on the Installation of Bishop Kevin Doran as Bishop of Achonry
Date and Time:
Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday (Rejoicing Sunday) – 30 March 2025 at 3.00pm.
Venue:
Cathedral of the Annunciation and Saint Nathy, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, F45 FW27.
Media
At 2.00pm, 30 March, Martin Long of the Catholic Communications Office, will be available to brief journalists at the dedicated media centre located in the presbytery, adjacent to the Cathedral, eircode F45 EE04. The media centre will be open until after the Mass is finished, and it will offer internet access and refreshments. Hard copies of the homily to be delivered by Bishop Doran, the installation booklet which contains details of the liturgy, the biography of Bishop Doran, and related information, will be available in the media centre. After the Mass, at the front door of the Cathedral, Bishop Doran will greet members of the congregation in person, and journalists and photographers.
Photography
The diocese has retained John McElroy as the official photographer for the Installation. Photographs from the ceremony for publication purposes will be available to media by contacting Mr McElroy on [email protected] or +353 87 241 6985.
Live Streaming
The Mass will be livestreamed on the https://achonrydiocese.org/
Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) and Installation
Since Bishop Kevin Doran is already a bishop, he will be installed rather than ordained. This installation liturgy will take place during Mass today for the Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday. This installation liturgy also marks the moment when the Diocese of Achonry and the Diocese of Elphin are united “in persona episcopi” (in the person of the bishop). The principal celebrant and homilist will be Bishop Doran. His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Francis Duffy and Bishop Michael Duignan, will be the principal concelebrants.
Attendance will include bishops, clergy of the dioceses of Achonry and Elphin, and family members and friends of Bishop Doran. Every parish in the Diocese of Achonry will have representatives present. There will be representatives from Catholic schools and various diocesan bodies and organisations in the Diocese of Achonry. Staff and representatives from the Diocese of Elphin will be in attendance. Representatives of other Christian Churches will be present.
The Cathedral’s Senior Choir, and the Cathedral’s Folk Group, will lead the music throughout the liturgy. The Master of Ceremonies will be Father Martin Henry.
The Liturgy
At the beginning of the Liturgy, Bishop Doran will be greeted at the door of the Cathedral by Archbishop Francis Duffy, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tuam and Apostolic Administrator of Killala; Father Padraig Costello and the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Achonry; Father Paul Kivlehan, Administrator of the Cathedral; and Ms Sheelagh Dillon, Chairperson of the Castlemore and Kilcolman Parish Pastoral Council (the Cathedral Parish).
The Apostolic Letter of Appointment from Pope Francis will be read by the Diocesan Chancellor, Father Vincent Sherlock. Archbishop Francis Duffy will invite Bishop Doran to take his place at the Cathedra (Chair). Bishop Kevin will then be entrusted with the Book of the Gospels.
Following this, Bishop Doran will be greeted by representatives of the clergy of the Diocese of Achonry, representatives of people from each of the clusters of the diocese, religious women, representatives from other Christian Churches and other members of the congregation. Mass then continues in the usual way.
The chalice used during today’s celebration of the Eucharist dates from 1688. It was commissioned by Friar Anton McDonogh, in his capacity as Guardian of the Franciscan Friary in Ballymote. Despite Penal Laws, the chalice survived over the centuries and was found again in the priest’s house in Bellanagare, County Roscommon by Bishop Dominic Conway (Bishop of Elphin 1971 – 1994). Since then, it has been held in safe keeping by the Diocese of Elphin. Today it returns to the Diocese of Achonry.
Appointment by the Holy Father Pope Francis and uniting the dioceses “in persona episcopi“
The Latin term “in persona episcopi” literally means “in the person of the bishop” and is used by the Catholic Church to designate the union of two or more dioceses, under one bishop.
On 10 April 2024, continuing the gradual process of reorganisation in the Province of Tuam, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland announced that Bishop Doran had been appointed as Apostolic Administrator of Achonry. On 16 February this year, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Doran as the 55th Bishop of Achonry in addition to being Bishop of Elphin. Today he has been installed as Bishop of Achonry with the two dioceses now united “in persona episcopi”.
In every diocese, the bishop is called to be a sign and a means of unity. It is his responsibility to gather together the people of God. When two dioceses are united like this “in the person of the bishop”, it tells us that the two dioceses have a unique relationship which goes beyond just being close neighbours.
Through his ministry of teaching, administration and celebrating the Eucharist and the other Sacraments, the bishop is called to be a sign and a servant of that new and deeper communion. Each diocese still retains its own unique identity, but gradually over the coming years, while respecting the culture and the history and the unique gifts of each, the two dioceses will become one diocese.
The liturgy we celebrate today marks the continuation of a very historic process for the Catholic Church in Ireland which began with the uniting of the dioceses of Galway and Clonfert “in persona episcopi” in May 2022. We send our prayerful good wishes to the faithful in the dioceses of Tuam and Killala; Galway and Clonfert who are journeying on a similar path to us in Achonry and Elphin. We pray in particular for Archbishop Francis Duffy and Bishop Michael Duignan who, like Bishop Kevin, are leading their respective dioceses towards closer unions.
- His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Kevin Doran as Bishop of Achonry on Sunday, 16 February 2025.
- The Catholic population of Achonry is approx. 38,000, there are 34 priests in ministry, 2 permanent deacons and 23 parishes in the diocese.
- The Catholic population of Elphin is approx. 81,500, there are 60 priests in ministry, 7 permanent deacons and 38 parishes in the diocese.
- Life and Ministry of Bishop Kevin Doran:
Bishop Kevin Doran was born in Dublin in 1953 and ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin in July 1977. During his thirty-six years as a Dublin priest, he served in six parishes around the diocese, as well as working in educational administration, university chaplaincy and in the accompaniment of candidates for ordained ministry. He was Secretary General of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress which was held in Dublin in 2012. He was appointed Bishop of Elphin in May 2014 and ordained Bishop on 13 July 2014.
On 10 April 2024, continuing the gradual process of reorganisation in the Province of Tuam, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland announced that Bishop Kevin Doran had been appointed as Apostolic Administrator of Achonry. On 16 February 2025, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Doran as the 55th Bishop of Achonry in addition to being Bishop of Elphin. Today, 30 March 2025, he will be installed as Bishop of Achonry with the two dioceses being united “in persona episcopi”. The Latin term “in persona episcopi” literally means “in the person of the bishop”, and is used by the Catholic Church to indicate the union of two or more dioceses under one bishop.
As a member of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Doran is the Chairperson of the Council for Life, and serves on the Committee for Theology. He is also a member of the Council for Justice and Peace.
