Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has said that the Church locally is progressing on a “trinity of positive change” as it prepares for a future without priests across many parishes.
Announcing this year’s round of clergy changes, Bishop Leahy said that change itself can be challenging but we must embrace it as a positive as it heralds a new and a more missionary way for the church.
Bishop Leahy said that the very fact that the clergy changes themselves will, for the foreseeable future, not involve the appointment of a priest to just a single parish, reflects the new order.
The approach going forward, he said, to addressing the challenge of lack of vocations to priesthood is a trinity of promoting vocations themselves, which will involve engaging more with young people; bringing priests in from other nations; and reorganising parishes and pastoral units with far more lay responsibility in parishes and lay-led liturgies.
“Clergy changes have, by and large, always been a challenge but in the past the challenge was moving a priest to a new parish, which was never easy for the parish he was leaving or for the priest himself as people get accustomed and comfortable with their priest.
“But the clergy changes now are more difficult as we simply don’t have the numbers of priests that we had in the past to go around. In fact, if you look down the list of changes in dioceses across Ireland, you will find very few that will involve a priest being appointed to single parishes,” he said.
Addressing the fall in vocations, Bishop Leahy said, “Our approach to the shortage of vocations to priesthood has three elements merging into one approach, a trinity of positive change as it were.
“One is that we have to go out and promote vocations and we have good news this year in that we have one seminarian commencing his studies and we are very grateful for that. But we need more. This first step also involves greater outreach to young people across the Diocese and we are embarking on this.
“A second one is to bring priests in from other nations. At the moment we have seven Nigerian priests, for example, and they are doing wonderful work so we are very grateful for them and must welcome them.
“The third approach is the laity becoming more involved, taking on some duties that were normally the preserve of the priest, such as looking after the practical arrangements for local parish communities, leading the liturgy when a coffin arrives at a Church the evening before a funeral mass, visiting the sick and elderly, leading youth ministry and, indeed, steeping forward more in terms of mission, administration and liturgy.
“This is all good because we must become a more missionary Church. We can’t spend our time trying to maintain what we had or going into survival mode because that’s not what we are being called to do. We are called today to create and embrace a new way of Church. The Church itself in terms of the faith and sacraments is always the same. But we have to turn the way we do things in a different direction and travel that path and that’s what we’re now doing,” he added.
Bishop Leahy added that he has been heartened by growing engagement across the diocese, particularly younger age groups, over the past year or so. “I am encouraged that we have 100 young people coming to Lourdes on the Diocesan pilgrimage this week. We have another 70 young adults taking part in our summer camp experience in West Kerry in July and then 30 people going to Rome at the end of July for the Youth Jubilee event with Pope Leo. It was also great to see young people from Limerick at the launch of the Knock Youth Village last weekend. They bring such a vibrancy and energy to the Church.”
ENDS
The following are clergy changes for 2025:
Leahy Canon William Fitzmaurice, to retire as Co-Parish Priest of the Maigue Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Bruff/Meanus/Grange, Banogue, Dromin/Athlacca, Croom, Fedamore and Manister.
Canon Tim Curtin retired on April 1st as Moderator of the Shannon West Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Shanagolden/Foynes/Robertstown, Loughill/Ballyhahill, Glin and Coolcappa/Kilcolman.
Fr Gerard O’Leary retired on February 1st as Co-Parish Priest of the Thomond Pastoral Subunit comprising the parishes of St. Nicholas and St. Mary’s.
Fr Éamonn Fitzgibbon, Vicar General, appointed as Co-Parish Priest and Moderator of the St James Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Rathkeale, Ballingarry/Granagh and Knockaderry/Cloncagh.
Fr Tim Collins, appointed as Curate of the St Nessan’s Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Patrickswell/Ballybrown, Mungret/Crecora/Raheen, St Paul’s, Kildimo/Pallaskenry and Kilcornan.
Canon Derek Leonard, appointed as Co-Parish Priest and Moderator of the Croí Clann Naofa Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of St Joseph’s, St Saviour’s and Our Lady of Lourdes.
Fr Liam Enright, appointed as Co-Parish Priest and Moderator of Shannon West Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Shanagolden/Foynes/Robertstown, Loughill/Ballyhahill, Glin and Coolcappa/Kilcolman.
Fr Francesco Okonkwo, appointed as Co-Parish Priest to the Shannon West Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Shanagolden/Foynes/Robertstown, Loughill/Ballyhahill, Glin and Coolcappa/Kilcolman.
Fr Robbie Coffey, appointed as Co-Parish Priest of the Maigue Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Bruff/Meanus/Grange, Banogue, Dromin/Athlacca, Croom, Fedamore and Manister.
Fr Denis Mullane, appointed as Co-Parish Priest of the Maigue Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Bruff/Meanus/Grange, Banogue, Dromin/Athlacca, Croom, Fedamore and Manister.
Fr Tom Mangan, appointed as Moderator of the Íde Naofa Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Abbeyfeale, Athea, Templeglantine and Tournafulla/Mountcollins.
Fr Michael Eduziuno, while continuing his role in Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese, appointed part-time Assistant Priest in the Íde Naofa Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Abbeyfeale, Athea, Templeglantine and Tournafulla/Mountcollins.
Fr Shoji Varghese, appointed as Assistant Priest of St Nessan’s Pastoral Unit comprising the parishes of Patrickswell/Ballybrown, Mungret/Crecora/Raheen, St Paul’s, Kildimo/Pallaskenry and Kilcornan while continuing his hospital ministry.
Fr Emmanuel Okwudinka, appointed as Curate of Cill Rois Pastoral Unit comprising of the parishes of Christ the King, Cratloe/Sixmilebridge and Our Lady of the Rosary.
Fr Francis Nwanebu, appointed to assist in Youth Ministry and Assistant Priest of the Slí Pádraig Pastoral Unit comprising of the parishes of Donoughmore/Knockea/Roxboro, Our Lady Queen of Peace and Holy Family.
Monsignor Dan Neenan, appointed Director of Ecumenism for the Diocese.
The following Chapter nominations were announced:
Fr Michael Wall nominated as Canon holding the title of the St. Munchin’s prebend within the Diocesan Chapter.
Fr Patrick O’Sullivan nominated as Canon holding the title of the Tullybrackey prebend within the Diocesan Chapter.
Fr Denis Mullane nominated as Canon holding the title of the Croagh prebend within the Diocesan Chapter.
Fr Tom Mangan nominated as Canon holding the title of the Dysart prebend within the Diocesan Chapter.