Renata Steffens
A view of Baltinglass Parish Church from beside the graveyard. Photo: Scrawb/Flickr. The St Patrick’s Missionary Society (Kiltegan Fathers) will establish a Mission Parish in the heart of the Kildare and Leighlin Diocese in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. The mission team should arrive in the parish on February 23.
It is expected the parish will develop a strong missionary focus, embracing the Pope’s vision of Synodality. Bishop Denis Nulty said in his homily during Masses in Baltinglass and Grangecon on January 5 that the idea for the creation of a mission parish came from the leadership team of the Kiltegan Fathers.
The idea, according to the bishop, is that “a Mission Team of three would live in a brotherhood of community life and very much have a team approach to their missionary outreach.” The bishop continued, “There is no more suitable parish than Baltinglass for this Mission Parish proposal. Baltinglass ticks all the boxes.”
With primary and post-primary schools, hospital, and by being an urban centre with rural vicinities, Baltinglass as a parish has a “certain missionary appeal”, Bishop Nulty said.
Fr John Heinhold SPS, a native of Cork will lead the team, he will be assisted by Fr Lawrence Kurgat SPS from Kenya and Fr Vincent Agunbiade SPS from Nigeria. In addition to locating the Mission Parish in Baltinglass, the Kiltegan Fathers will also assist in the wider Pastoral Area including Rathvilly.
To create this Mission Parish, some diocesan changes needed to be made. See the new appointments to take effect on February 23 below:
- Fr John Heinhold SPS to become PP Baltinglass, assisted by Fr Lawrence Kurgat SPS (Kenyan) and Fr Vincent Agunbiade SPS (Nigerian).
- Fr Ger Ahern PP Baltinglass to become PP Tullow.
- Fr Brian Maguire PP Tullow to have a six-month sabbatical to take up an appointment in September.
- Fr Andy Leahy to become CC Clonegal and Myshall while residing for now in St Patrick’s Missionary Society, Kiltegan.
- Fr Yohan Fernando on loan from Badulla Diocese (Sri Lanka) to become CC Naas, Sallins and Two Mile House while also working in the wider Pastoral Area which also includes Kill.