Limerick priest appointed to Irish College in Rome

After 12 years as diocesan secretary in Limerick, Fr Paul Finnerty said his new appointment as Vice Rector of the Irish Pontifical College in Rome is “daunting” but “exciting”.

One of his first challenges will be to learn Italian. “I will have to hit the books in a big way,” Fr Finnerty told The Irish Catholic.

“It’s exciting. It’s a little daunting. I have never spent any time in the Irish College apart from visiting it. I went to St Patrick’s in Maynooth myself, so I have never studied in Rome. I will certainly be out of my comfort zone initially,” he said.

Fortunate

“I have been very fortunate in that I enjoyed my time in seminary in Maynooth so I would hope that others entering seminary would share that positive experience that I had.”

Fr Finnerty said as the number of priests decline, the future of the Irish Church will be “very different” in how priests minister and work “co-responsibly with all the baptised”. “That will be something hopefully I will be able to bring with my experience of working with people over the last number of years,” he said.

The appointment of Fr Finnerty was approved at the quarterly meeting of the Irish Bishop’s Conference last week and he will take up the position in September.