ANOTHER Kerry parish is to lose its resident priest following the retirement of Canon Eoin Mangan in Knocknagoshel.
That parish will now be served by the three priests of the Castleisland pastoral area.
Knocknagoshel becomes the sixth parish without a resident priest and Bishop of Kerry, Ray Browne, has stressed that the situation will be the same in all 12 pastoral areas within a few years.
“Soon it will not be possible to have a weekend Mass in every church in the diocese. That day is not far off,” he stressed.
The bishop said that as there are 111 churches in 53 parishes in the Kerry diocese, more parishioners will have to attend Sunday Mass in neighbouring churches.
“I am confident that though we have fewer and fewer priests, we can continue to have the fullness of parish life everywhere. It is a great challenge,” said Bishop Browne who paid tribute to all the priests for their great service.
“I admire their faith, their care of and commitment to the parish. What other group has a retirement age of 75 or 76?” he asked.
Bishop Browne noted that just after Easter, the sad deaths of two active priests, Fr John Lucid and Fr Pat Moore, occurred and he said they are greatly missed by their fellow priests, their many friends and by the people of Kilcummin, Duagh and Moyvane parishes. Their passing, added to a lack of vocations, further complicated the situation with regard to not having a sufficient number of priests available for the diocese.
Three people will be ordained as permanent deacons in the autumn.
Meanwhile, the late Fr John Lucid will be succeeded as Parish Priest of Kilcummin by Fr Eamon Mulivhill of the The Spa in Tralee.
Bishop Browne has announced the following changes:
Retirement
Fr Eoin Mangan, PP, Knocknagoshel
Appointments
Mgr Sean Hanafin VG returns from sabbatical to be PP Ballybunion
Fr Anthony O’Sullivan, PP Brosna, on sabbatical until July 2018
Fr Noel Spring, Ballybunion, to be PP Castletownbere
Fr Gearoid Walsh, PP Castletownbere, to be PP Ballymacelligot
Fr Pat Crean-Lynch, PP Ballymacelligot, to be PP The Spa
Fr Eamon Mulivhill, PP The Spa, to be PP Kilcummin
Fr David Gunn, PP Ballinskelligs (Prior), to be PP Brosna
Fr Patsy Lynch, CC St Brendan’s Tralee, to be PP Ballinskelligs (Prior)
Fr Niall Geaney CC (pro-tem) Killarney, to be CC St Brendan’s, Tralee
Fr Martin Spillane, PP Adrigole, to be PP Caherdaniel
Fr Martin Sheehan, PP Caherdaniel, to be PP Adrigole
Priests of all pastoral areas of the diocese will take up different responsibilities outside their own parishes. This will be decided and communicated locally. The changes will become effective on Wednesday, July 19.
KillarneyToday.com: It’s the talk of the town. To advertise call 087-2229761
