Bishop urged to re-think issue of permanent diaconate

Fears expressed by some parishioners that it will hinder greater lay involvement.

Killaloe bishop Kieran O’Reilly has been urged to reconsider the introduction of the permanent diaconate in the diocese, amid fears expressed by some parishioners that it will hinder greater lay involvement.

Since Dr O’Reilly issued a pastoral letter last month inviting applications for the permanent diaconate – a ministry open only to men, either married or celibate – a campaign rejecting the move has built up a head of steam in the diocese. Some lay parish volunteers feel that their work will be taken over by the deacons.

They are urging the bishop to attend a meeting being organised by volunteers next week at which parishioners will be invited to share their views on the future of lay ministry in the context of the diaconate.

Organisers

One of the organisers, Mary Hanley from Ennis, told The Irish Catholic: “The thing that has exercised us is that we had a listening process in the diocese, which led to a pastoral plan which talks about training lay people to take on various roles, and now we are all bewildered that this new pastoral letter from the bishop is inviting only men to be involved.”

She said the listening process found a willingness “for people to embrace our roles as baptised Catholics” and “this isn’t the right time to engage men only to carry out functions being done by men and women, but by a majority of women in our diocese”.

Process

Martina Meskell from Clonlara parish said she felt the authorities had ‘reneged’ on the listening process.

“I had invested so much time into the listening process and was so excited and invigorated.

“I felt the diocese was committed to listening to what the people wanted on the ground and this has now contradicted all that without any dialogue.”

The open forum ‘The Diaconate, an Inclusive Church’ will take place on Monday, September 15 at the Inn at Dromoland (formerly Clare Inn Hotel), Dromoland at 8pm.

Despite repeated requests for comment, there was no response from Bishop O’Reilly to questions as The Irish Catholic went to print.