Lay people step up amid priest shortage

Lay people step up amid priest shortage in Ireland

Thursday, June 8th, 2023

Lay people will begin leading prayers at the graveside or in crematoria in some parishes in the Diocese of Down and Connor this summer, in response to the shortage of priests.

The move is part of a pilot announced by the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, in his role as apostolic administrator of the diocese in a new pastoral letter entitled, “Be part of God’s Amazing Dream”.

Published for Pentecost, Bishop McKeown reveals that within 15 years, the diocese will, for the first time in its history, have more priests who are retired than in active ministry.

Down and Connor currently has 86 parishes and 146 churches ministered to by around 84 priests in active ministry.

Related Posts:

Additional reading

News category: News Shorts, Palmerston, World.

Tags: Diocese of Down and Connor, Priest Shortage in Ireland

Analysis and Comment
- The inheritance of Anzac Day
  
  Each year the eve of Anzac Day is given over to the International Day of Multiculturalism and Diplomacy for Peace. This year the conjunction is particularly apposite at a time when the air is full of wars and rumours of Read more
- Experts at Rome meet – delve into historical abuses of power
  
  The nature of power and how the abuse of power has been dealt with in the past and present were the focus of an international conference in Rome attended by about a dozen scholars earlier this month. Experts in history, Read more
- Gathered around the altar
  
  “Without liturgical reform, there is no reform of the Church,” Pope Francis said emphatically last February during an address to the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. His remarks came around the Read more
- The real cause of the war in Gaza—and the only path to peace
  
  We have already seen six months of war in Gaza. Now, it seems that Israel is beginning its last phase of conquest, after ordering a million and a half people to take refuge in Rafah, a border town with Egypt. Read more

Search CathNews

Search for:
CathNews
is free

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:
Great Reads