Pioneers must have self-belief to become strong lay association

Staff reporter

The Pioneers should not look to a hierarchial structure, but have the self-belief to become a strong lay association Bishop Eamon Walsh has said. 

The Pioneer Association will become a Lay Association of the Faithful under the direction of the Irish Bishops’ Conference over the next three years, as the Jesuits make a phased withdrawal because of falling vocations.

Speaking to over 100 Pioneers in Mullingar at the weekend for the Meath Diocesan Gathering, Bishop Eamon Walsh, Vice Chair of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative, said that this change was an opportunity “to pool resources of knowledge of the changing culture and what’s the need today and how can we put our shoulders jointly to the wheel”.

However, he told the Pioneers they did not need to look to the Bishops’ Conference to give it structure. “When it started, it started from the bottom up and I think what you need to do is ask how can we have a strong vibrant lay association,” he said.

“We are trying to build up a lay Church and what you need is a strong lay association rooted in Christian faith and to have the self-belief to say we can do this.”