Fr Kevin Connolly with his parents Paddy and Kathleen Encouraging lay leadership will be a key task for tomorrow’s clergy, Bishop Larry Duffy has said.
Speaking at the ordination of Fr Kevin Connolly in St Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan, Bishop Duffy said that as a priest Fr Connolly would be called to spend time with Jesus, pondering his life and message and celebrating his presence in the Sacraments and in life.
In addition, he said, priests are called to be Christian leaders, sometimes going ahead of people to point the way, sometimes accompanying them in moments of joy and sadness, and sometimes leading from behind.
“There are times when we walk at the rear, helping those who lag behind and, importantly, encouraging those with gifts of leadership,” he said. “This particular form of leadership will be especially important from now into the future as we have less priests, but most especially, as we enable lay people to take on leadership roles in our Church at various levels.”