Priest shortage sees four weekend Masses axed in Killarney Pastoral Area

FOUR Parishes in the Killarney Pastoral Area are to have one Mass fewer every week due to the lack of priests in the Kerry Diocese.

Firies, Fossa, Kilcummin and Killarney are each losing a weekend Mass, while changes have also been made to Mass times in the Parishes of Kilcummin, Killarney and Glenflesk, according to the new schedule announced by Bishop Ray Browne.

The Killarney Pastoral Area, one of 12 in the Kerry Diocese, had 19 Masses, but this has been now reduced to 15 Masses under the new schedule, which will come into effect on the first weekend of November.

Bishop Browne said the new changes were due to the loss of one parish priest in the Diocese.

Earlier this year, Bishop Browne made the decision to move the resident priest in Kilcummin parish, Fr Eamon Mulvihill, to Castlegregory, leaving the Killarney Pastoral area with one priest fewer.

This decision was due to the retirement of three priests from the parishes of Castleisland, Castlemaine and Firies.

A new priest was appointed to both Castleisland and Firies, but Castlemaine did not get a new priest.

The decision by Bishop Browne to leave Kilcummin, one of the biggest parishes in the county, without a Parish Priest led to a huge anger in the community, including a number of public meetings which were attended by hundreds calling on Bishop Browne to reverse the decision.

Church authorities were even called upon to intervene in the row, which also saw the a petition handed to Bishop Browne with over 1,000 signatures.

The ‘Save our Parish, Save our Priest’ campaign continued for a number of months, and there is still anger in the local community regarding Bishop Browne’s decision.

This anger was stoked again this week following the news that the Parish is to lose a weekend Mass.

The 9am Sunday Mass will no longer take place at Kilcummin Church under the new schedule.

The 11.15am mass has also been changed to 11.30am on Sunday.

These moves come despite assurances, at the announcement of a loss of a resident Priest, that there would be no changes in the Parish.

“We were told that there would be no changes. We were told this quite clearly and now there have been changes,” said local man Pat O’Sullivan.

Mr O’Sullivan helped lead the campaign for Kilcummin to retain a Parish Priest.

“We are very disappointed at the announcement.”

Mr O’Sullivan claims that such changes could have been avoided if Fr Mulvihill was not moved from Kilcummin, and he says Bishop Browne has questions to answer.

In his statement this week, Bishop Browne said that clerical changes have put ‘considerable strain’ on the six priests in the Killarney area, adding that all parishes have been affected.

“We have only been able to manage so far thanks to the generosity of the retired Priests, but it would be deeply unfair to ask their sustained support to continue the current weekend Mass schedule,” he said.

“At present, we have 19 weekend Masses in the Pastoral Area, but allowing one priest to be away for sickness, pilgrimage, annual leave etc, this cannot be sustained by the six priests now in the pastoral area,” he added.

“While we are aware of the change that has happened for the Priests of the area, we realise too the great change and sadness that this will mean for parishioners affected, and in this we ask for your understanding and support,” Bishop Browne continued.

The changes were brought in following a discussion with the local parish pastoral council and the area pastoral council, which have representatives from all five parishes on the council.

Bishop Ray Browne