Diocese to reduce Mass numbers

FEEDBACK 2,000 attend parish meetings, over 100 submissions received

The Diocese of Kilmore will begin discussions in the coming months between neighbouring parishes to reduce the number of Masses taking place locally.

Currently, there are 64 priests in the diocese, with 44 in active ministry across 34 parishes, two abroad and 18 retired. More than half the priests are aged over 70 years, and a third are older than 75.

By 2030, it is projected there will only be 27 priests left ministering. The fact that just one seminarian has been ordained to the Diaconate since 2020 is also adding to fears for religious services in the Diocese.

Reducing Mass frequency was one potential solution floated amid discussions aimed at how best to manage ministry locally and into the future.

The decision follows consultation with parishes stretching from Kilmainhamwood to Kinlough late last year that involved the participation of over 2,000 people. Over 100 individual submissions were received arising from that, a process that involved extensive engagement between the Diocesan Synodality team, Diocesan Pastoral Council, priests of the Diocese and Diocesan staff and Director of Pastoral Planning and Faith Development, Martina Gilmartin.

The announcement was made in a letter published at the weekend by Bishop of Kilmore, Martin Hayes, in which he addressed the report on responses from the earlier parish meetings.

“I welcome this report and thank all who made it happen. It offers insight into the reality of parish life throughout our diocese,” said Bishop Hayes, adding that the Church is “ taking steps now to address some issues” raised.

The diocesan response is two-fold - an examination of the frequency of how Mass is celebrated and developing the role of lay people in the mission of the parish, “especially towards young people” says the Bishop in his letter to parishioners across the Diocese of Kilmore.

“The celebration of Mass is central to who we are as Church,” notes the Tipperary native, who took over the role following the retirement of Leo O'Reilly in 2020.

With less Masses taking place, Bishop Hayes adds: “My desire is that this will lead to greater participation by parishioners and life-giving celebrations of the Mass – full and active participation by all the people.”

In preparation for the planned discussions, Bishop Hayes offered during this Lenten season a resource for each parish to renew its appreciation of the Mass, particularly “the value of optimal participation by people”, with further details to be made available in the coming weeks.

“It is important for the faith of our people that the communal gathering, that is the Liturgy of the Mass, will have a lasting influence on community life.”

The diocesan report indicates an “anxiety about huge challenges” facing parishes, but also a “readiness to engage”, and some level of confidence that parish communities “can survive” without resident priests, given “certain levels of support”.

The profile of attendees at the public meetings was consistent across the diocese - mainly older people and “regular Mass goers”.

“But given that, the message was not conservative,” says the report. “There was an openness to change, a sense of urgency about what needs to happen and, above all, a sense of the need to engage with the absent young people.”

A core concern highlighted was that the decline in the number of priests is perhaps symptomatic of “a shift in the religious culture in our communities, one impacting most of all on young people. They weren’t present at our meetings for the most part; they don’t come to our Masses. They have largely disconnected from church. There was a sense that, while we can manage into the future with a reduction in priests, we can’t manage without the young. We need to engage with them.”

The report also highlighted concern for the wider “impact on parish identity” if there is to be no local priest and no regular Mass. This covered the maintenance of Church buildings, a loss of parish income, the loss of the priest as spiritual leader, and the loss of community gatherings for weekly Mass.

“It also the included fears for the loss of key parish and family moments such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, first communions, confirmations.”

The meetings brought to the fore an “openness” to priests coming from abroad, “given some cultural orientation”. There was a desire for the “promotion of vocations” and further openness to “women and married men” in the roles of deacon and priest.

There was “very strong affirmation” for developing a role for lay people, both men and women, said the report.

Regarding faith work with youth, leadership in prayer and liturgy, as well as administration, there would however need to be “clear communication” from the diocese on how this will be developed. “This includes clarity on roles for lay people in the parishes – how these will be promoted, what vetting will be done, what training will be offered, what conditions for volunteering, what conditions for paid employment. In this, there was an emphasis on accessibility of training, both geographically and academically.”

There was though an “acceptance” that the numbers of Masses may need to be reduced. “This should be done fairly across the diocese, involving cooperation between neighbouring church communities and parishes, including neighbouring parishes in neighbouring dioceses. It also came across very strongly in the feedback the importance of clear communication so that all parishioners know the times of Masses in adjoining parishes, the priest who is on duty and the possibility of joint newsletters.”

There was a strong desire, meanwhile, that Church buildings, regardless of use, “should not be closed”.

“This indicated a preference for local liturgies rather than travelling to neighbouring parishes,” the report acknowledges. “Here there was an openness to lay-led liturgies when Mass is not possible. There was also an openness to the use of technology for Mass, as during the Covid period.”

Bishop Hayes' letter that accompanied the published report concludes by saying that, while there are “technological possibilities” of availing of Mass online as happened during COVID-19, it is the “actual physical participation in the Mass with other parishioners that will ensure the future of our parish faith communities.

“The openness in the report to the increasing involvement of lay people in the life of our parishes is a real sign of hope. It offers encouragement to our ongoing work with Maynooth Pontifical University to put in place courses in lay ministry specifically to address the needs of Kilmore Diocese. The focus of these courses will be on ‘people skills’ as is emphasised in the report including teamwork with our priests and permanent deacons,” said Bishop Hayes.