Bishop of Killala John Fleming. Bishop John Fleming hopes that people who no longer attend Mass will give their opinions on how the Church might reach out during an extensive listening process in his Killala Diocese.
The initiative was launched in Ballina last night (Wednesday) and sessions will take place in every parish across the diocese over the next two months.
Bishop Fleming described the process as “an inclusive initiative” and expressed the hope that everyone in the diocese will participate. “I invite everyone to take part: the young and not so young, those who participate in Mass each weekend, those who attend occasionally and those who may no longer walk with the Church for whatever reason.
“In particular I am anxious to hear the voice of young people in this process,” he said.
He said that he wanted to “emphasise the importance of the listening aspect of this process, so that we really can hear what is being said.
Dr Fleming said it is his hope that the diocesan assembly will meet in June “when the proposals which will emerge from this listening process will be put to its 300 delegates, who represent every aspect of Church life in the diocese, in order that they can be voted on.
“These proposals, when accepted, will then become diocesan policy and form the basis of our Pastoral Plan for the Diocese,” Bishop Fleming said.
The Diocese of Killala consists of 22 parishes and includes portions of counties Mayo and Sligo. Killala has a Catholic population of about 37,000 and is served by 37 priests.