I will sing forever of your love O Lord,
Through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts forever,
That your truth is firmly established as the heavens. (Ps 88)
The past year has been a year of much discussion and planning in our diocese. The discussion is ongoing. I thank all who joined in and were part of the very large group involved in organizing these discussions. Every parish held a meeting that reviewed their strengths and their needs and focused on the question: What next steps do we all need to take? The discussion revolved around our Pastoral Letter: “Moving Forward in Hope”.
(Quotes in this statement are from the Pastoral Letter)
In reflecting on our next steps we look at parish life under the four headings in the Pastoral Letter:
“Think of your local church community in four ways:
- A social/friendship community
- A caring compassionate community
- A praying, worshiping and sacramental community and
- A community whose mission is to nourish and develop its faith, and hand it on to the next generation.”
All four headings are essential in a healthy parish.
This year we have one priest retiring, Fr Brendan Carmody. We thank him for his years of ministry in Moyvane parish. I thank all the priests who have agreed to take up new appointments in the weeks ahead. Following on the joyful ordination of Fr Mark Moriarty last year, in August we will have the ordination to the priesthood of deacon Sean Murphy. We are blessed to have been offered three priests on loan from Eldoret diocese in Kenya. All going well they will join us in the months ahead. We continue to pray for vocations to the diocesan priesthood in the years ahead.
As in the past decade, so in the decade ahead, the number of priests reaching retirement age will present a great challenge. We can say looking at recent years, “Greater involvement of parishioners in all aspects of church life has enabled us to adjust well.” In this regard “There are so many people in all our parishes to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for devoted voluntary service.”
Looking to the future, “Our hope is that parishioners and deacons will take a structured leadership role in their pastoral areas working in a co-responsible way with the priests of the pastoral area including priests from abroad.”
Sincere thanks to our team at the Pastoral Centre and to Mary Immaculate College, Limerick for delivering the course in Pastoral Leadership, and to the twenty-five lay people who will be commissioned as lay pastoral leaders in our diocese early next year. In 2025 we hope to gather another group to prepare for the ministry of pastoral leadership. Alongside this we have five in formation to be permanent deacons. With everyone playing their part as baptized Christians we can rise to the challenge of continuing to have the fullness of Christian life in all our parishes and church areas.
For three years now Pope Francis has been courageously encouraging ongoing worldwide conversations, carried out in a spirit of faith and prayer, which will culminate in a second month-long gathering of the Synod of Bishops in Rome this October. Central to his plan is that all the People of God, all who are baptized, will realize they have a contribution to make to the life of their Church, be it at parish, diocesan or national level. They have a right to be heard. Many gatherings have taken place in our diocese in connection with this synod. Reports from similar gatherings worldwide have given us a context in which to understand our own challenges as a diocese.
We face the future with confidence, trusting in God’s help and guidance. In the words of the vision statement of our Pastoral Letter: “Our faith is the Good News that Jesus Christ is the God of love. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ accompanies us both in this life and in the life to come. To live and to share that Good News is our mission”.
Bishop Ray Browne
Diocese of Kerry
28 June 2024
Diocese of Kerry Appointments July 2024
Bishop Ray Browne wishes to announce the following changes to the appointments of clergy in the Diocese of Kerry:
Retirements:
Fr. Brendan Carmody, PP Moyvane.
Appointments:
Fr. Brendan Walsh, Causeway to be PP Moyvane.
Fr. Gerard Finucane, Waterville to be PP Causeway.
Fr Sean Jones, Killarney to be PP Waterville.
Fr Vitalis Barasa, St John’s Tralee to minister in Killarney Parish.
Fr Gerard Finucane to also be Moderator of Ballyheigue.
Fr Sean Jones to also be Moderator of Caherdaniel.
Priests of all Pastoral Areas of the Diocese take up different responsibilities outside their own parishes and within the Pastoral Area. This will be decided and communicated locally.
These appointments will become effective on Wednesday, July 17th 2024
Fr Nicholas Flynn
____________________
Fr. Nicholas Flynn
Diocesan Secretary