Cathal BarryDiocese faces future with fewer priests
A major fundraising campaign to train paid lay parish workers, support priests and promote vocations is being rolled out by Dublin Diocese to offset the declining number of priests and support vibrant parishes..
The ‘living the Joy of the Gospel’ initiative is already underway in four pilot parishes within the sprawling Dublin diocese with other parishes expected to come on stream soon.
Parishes who sign up to the initiative will be provided assistance in their fundraising efforts, with cash raised being split between the local parish and the new initiative.
The Irish Catholic understands that parishes will keep 50% of the total sum raised for previously identified local needs. The remaining 50% will go directly to the diocese, with 40% going to train pastoral teams including parish pastoral workers and catechists. The remaining 10% will go to providing ongoing formation and training for priests.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who last year marked 10 years at the helm of the country’s largest diocese, has frequently referenced the acute lack of vocations in his diocese. Speaking at an ordination ceremony last year, Dr Martin pointed to the fact that just two priests in Dublin are under 40, while a further 44 are aged between 70 and 75 and due to retire in the next few years.
According to Fr Joe Mullan, who is acting as spokesman for the campaign, “with fewer priests and religious nowadays there is a need to sustain pastoral energy in a different way”.
“This is about jumpstarting the next stage in pastoral development. It’s not like everything is falling down around us but to be secure in the future there is a need to take some prudent steps,” Fr Mullan told The Irish Catholic.
Dublin was amongst the first dioceses in the country to employ parish pastoral workers. However, recruitment was halted in 2013 after Archbishop Diarmuid Martin admitted that the diocese was in serious financial trouble.
The fundraising effort, spearheaded by Episcopal Vicar for Financial Development Fr Andrew O’Sullivan, is being undertaken with assistance from international fundraising firm CCS.
Fr Mullan said the programme’s focus is on “strengthening and developing vibrant parishes that are well resourced and financially stable going forward”.
“The plan is the result of an extensive consultation process involving priests and parish representatives. The plan reflects the vision for the diocese.
“In changing times there is a need to make strategic decisions and we need people to dig a bit deeper for the future. We are aware that not all people will be able to contribute but we hope that many will,” he said.
A spokesperson for Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was unable to provide a comment from the archbishop on the initiative at the time of going to print.