Parish appeals for parish priest not to be moved

A community in Dublin have appealed to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to keep their parish priest, after learning he will be moved to another area at the end of September.

Fr Hugh Kavanagh, from Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, has been asked to move from East Wall parish in inner city Dublin to minister in two Clondalkin parishes.

A petition asking him to remain racked up over 1,400 signatures, but the priest has spoken out and said that by responding to the archbishop, he is “responding to God”, and is “happy to go along there”.

Fr Kavanagh said that his current parish is a very “close-knitted community”, and as a family people want you to remain part of it, but that finding priests for parishes is very “challenging” so it’s important to try and find people who are free and able to move.

Although he is anxious to “get the move over”, he is looking forward to meeting new people, take on new challenges, and build up the community.