The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Five parishes now without resident priests on reshuffle
BISHOP BROWNE ACKNOWLEDGES ‘UPSET’ CAUSED BY SOME CHANGES
TWO more parishes in the county are now without a resident priest following changes to ministry in the Diocese announced by Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne last week.
Ballyheigue and Duagh will no longer be served by resident parish priests when the new changes take effect on Wednesday, July 20, next - a source of great concern to many in both of these parishes.
The move brings to five the number of parishes in Kerry that will be without a resident priest in an alarming sign of the times for the Catholic faithful of the county.
An ageing clergy and serious illness were cited by Bishop Browne as the major factors putting pressure on Diocesan administrators to provide blanket ministry for the county.
However, there is good news for the Catholic faithful with one deacon set to be ordained as a priest later this year and four students from the Diocese now preparing for the priesthood in the first positive news for church vocations here in many years.
In signalling the changes, Bishop Browne said he tried to keep them to a minimum following last year when a large number of changes were made.
The Bishop also acknowledged the ‘upset’ caused by the withdrawal of resident priests from parishes.
“In the past nine months five priests of our diocese have died, may they Rest in Peace,” Bishop Browne stated.
“All were retired and of a good age and had given long years of great faith-filled service. Last year, three priests of our diocese retired having passed the age of 75. This year one priest retires on this ground. At the moment three of our priests are coping with longterm serious ill-health.”
Speaking of the further reduction in priest cover, he added: “The appointments involve two more parishes without a resident priest. I realise that this in particular will cause upset and be unsettling for both priests and people. The total number of parishes without a resident priest is now five. The challenge is that these parishes and all our parishes have the fullness of Church life in a time of less and less priests.”
Both Duagh and Ballyheigue will now be served by the priests of their surrounding ‘pastoral areas’ under two separate moderators.
Ballyheigue and Duagh were slated for the loss of a resident priest on consideration of the following factors, a spokesperson for the Diocese told The Kerryman this week:
“The Pastoral Area’s personnel and capacity to support the parishes within it: the workload in the parish and the workload in the Pastoral area and the profile of the priests in the Pastoral area.” Allihies, Valentia and Tarbert are the other parishes without a resident priest.