Cathal BarryBishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor initiated the consultation to address the extent of services provided by the diocese
Masses may be cut in one of Ireland’s largest dioceses as part of major review prompted by a severe decline in the number of priests there.
Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor initiated the consultation to address the extent of services provided by the diocese following concerns for the rapidly declining numbers of clergy and religious outlined in a recently released diocesan pastoral plan.
In addition to reviewing the sacramental and pastoral services provided by the diocese, the consultation process will also identify parishes that may be grouped together to ensure the presence of the Church there in the future. The review will also consider a range of other parish duties often, though not always, carried out by the priests.
Pastoral services
A spokesperson for the diocese told The Irish Catholic there is “a need to address the extent of sacramental and pastoral services that are provided in the diocese given the declining number of clergy”.
He said the diocese has a responsibility “to ensure that clergy have duties that are reasonable and practical to administer” and that there was “an emerging consensus through the listening process and the preparations for the recent diocesan congress that this is an issue that should be addressed”.
“In the spirit of our pastoral plan, this will be done in a consultative fashion, with the purpose being to give us a clear picture as to what exactly are the needs of the diocese and how best to address them,” he said.