Archbishop Michael Neary has appealed to priests not to lose heart, despite the fact that their pastoral ministry has been curtailed by Covid-19 restrictions.
Speaking as the Tuam priests gathered for their delayed Chrism Mass, Dr Neary insisted that “to lose heart would be to forget the treasure with which we have been entrusted and focus on our own fragility”.
He also appealed to priests to begin anew the work of co-responsibility with parishioners. “While people rightly expect many things of a priest, surely and most fundamentally of all, they expect us to be men of deep faith, people who pray and struggle to live according to the Beatitudes.
“In our priesthood we need the support, the correction and the ongoing challenge of our people who by their patience and perseverance help us to recognise our responsibilities and opportunities.”
The Archbishop of Tuam also said that he believes priests have a vital role in helping parishioners post-coronavirus. “As priests we are challenged to be agents of hope, enabling and encouraging our people to recover and move on from the crisis which, in different ways, has left many of them shattered.
“In doing so we need the courage to live with unpopularity; the ability to keep going despite opposition, envy, false accusation and setbacks.”
Dr Neary said that priests must resist the temptation to be pigeon-holed.
“It will always be tempting to try to slot priesthood into the straightjacket of the socio-political. In our pastoral ministry we seek to journey with people, be available to them, make allowances for their resistance, and yet, perhaps without saying in words, indicate that we are dedicated to Christ, we are not embarrassed by Him, and that we are willing to share Him with all.
“We have to listen to their stories, understand their reaction and be men of courage who are prepared to speak but always in a spirit of fraternal love,” he said.