Staff Reporter
The head of the Irish Dominicans has defended the controversial decision to withdraw from five Irish locations, and acknowledged that further withdrawals may be necessary.
Following a 2013 visit from the Dominican’s international head, Fr Bruno Cadoré OP, the Irish province decided in 2014 to withdraw friars from their historical centres in Limerick, Drogheda and Athy, as well as Waterford’s Ballybeg parish and Dublin’s Leeson Park.
This decision had been necessary, Irish Prior Provincial Gregory Carroll OP told The Irish Catholic, because Ireland’s then 19 communities dated from a time when there were over 400 friars in the province, and were no longer sustainable “because everybody could see that our manpower was dropping and we were becoming an aging community and we had very few entering”.
While describing the entry of 13 novices into the province seven years ago as “a godsend”, he said that it probably also “camouflaged” the scale of the crisis.
The 2014 decision was seen by some as overdue, he said, quoting how one friar, anticipating further withdrawals, described it as “the first of the haircuts”. Further withdrawals would have to be considered, he explained, if not at this August’s provincial chapter meeting, then perhaps at 2018’s mid-term chapter.
While the decision has been “painful”, he maintained that “it was a critical thing to do in terms of going forward”.