Kilmore Diocese sees a opportunity in vocations crisis

Almost half of Kilmore Diocese’s priests are over 70 years old, Bishop Martin Hayes said when announcing summer clergy appointments. This means that “the task of providing priests for each parish into the future in Kilmore Diocese is challenging and amounts to a crisis.”

The bishop, however, sees a opportunity in the crisis. He said this is an opportunity to increase lay involvement, prayer for vocations and appreciation of foreign priests. “Together, we are embracing new models of parish ministry.”

He said that Kilmore embraces “the crisis of the evident reduction in vocations to diocesan priesthood in Ireland. It is our opportunity with God’s help to give witness to our faith.”

In increasing lay involvement, the bishop mentioned the completion of the 4-year term of the Parish Pastoral Councils and said that information events for the recruitment of new members will be held in September.

“We can never have enough people with the capacity for listening, ministry and working together in the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Hayes said.

The diocesan appointments can be found at kilmorediocese.ie.