Since his ordination last July, Bishop of Kerry, Ray Browne, has largely concentrated on getting to know his new diocese and its people, availing of every opportunity to get out and about to meet with his flock. KillarneyToday.com spoke to him
FOLLOWING a frenetic initial period spent adjusting to a new role, new surroundings and a new start in life, Bishop Ray Browne has settled well into his new home in Killarney and is setting about his daily tasks with a great sense of eagerness, purpose and excitement.
And as he adjusts to a particularly demanding and hugely responsible position at the helm of a sprawling consistency, comprising 53 parishes in 12 designated pastoral areas, he appreciates the fact that despite the physical demands it brings, the Confirmations season also offers a great opportunity to get to know the county.
This year sees no less than 35 separate Confirmations ceremonies, which started in Beaufort on 17 February last and will end in Caherdaniel and Prior on 6 May, and Bishop Browne knows that it at least affords him the scope to learn more about the geography of Kerry and the concerns, make-up and idiosyncrasies of its people.
The Bishop’s House, in the shadow of Pugin’s towering St Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, is a long way from the Browne family home on the banks of the River Shannon in Athlone, Co Westmeath but it was a journey he was happy to make when the Vatican approved his appointment to the Diocese of Kerry.
The middle child in a family of four boys and three girls, Ray Browne is a train driver’s son who was catapulted into the limelight when chosen to succeed the long-serving Dr Bill Murphy who is now enjoying retirement in his Killarney town centre residence.
Adjusting from being a rank-and-file cleric in the Roscommon parish of Kilgefin to become the head of the Catholic Church in one of the biggest dioceses in the country has been a significant, almost daunting step but the quietly spoken, unassuming 56-year-old has taken it very much in his stride.
“It has been a busy time but it was lovely to be here last year for one of the best summers and autumns we have had in a long time,” said the bishop who avails of any opportunity he can get to enjoy a stroll in Killarney National Park at Knockreer, just the toss of a stone away from his new home.
Under the watch of his predecessor, the diocese had been divided into a dozen pastoral areas to adjust to changing times within the Church and Bishop Ray has devoted a great deal of time to meeting his priests, greeting his people and thoroughly enjoying and cherishing every encounter.
“It’s lovely to see the sheer variety of communities and community enterprises and to meet all the different groups and bodies. My own conviction is that a bishop belongs among his people, leading from within with the support of the priests and we can all share the responsibility,” he said.
He marvels at the level of volunteerism throughout the county and he has been particularly impressed with the work and approach of bodies like the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service and the Social Action Group in Rathmore as well as committees like Accord, the Legion of Mary, St Vincent de Paul and various parish teams, prayer groups and choirs.
“Being a bishop is a very different role and maybe I need to have a full year in the position to fully appreciate that. The diocesan office provides essential services but, of course, there is a leadership function and there is planning for the future.
“At the heart of it all is proclaiming the Gospel and seeking to give God His rightful place in our world and in all of our lives.”
While a shortage of vocations continues to present obvious difficulties in the administration of a busy diocese, there are still close on 70 priests available to tend to the needs of 53 parishes and the bishop is particularly pleased to have a number of very dedicated and supportive retired clerics to call on when the need arises.
“We get great help and although many of them are a great age, they can still beautifully proclaim the Gospel and lead worship,” he said.
Since taking up office last July, Bishop Browne has been careful not to attempt to mend anything that doesn’t need fixing and he is prepared to take stock and monitor proceedings before he places his own personal stamp on the everyday business of the diocese.
With the four-year pastoral plan implemented by Bishop Murphy due to reach its natural end this year, Bishop Browne intends to park the issue for a period of time to accommodate essential reflection and facilitate carefully thought-out forward planning.
“I have been very impressed by the work that has been done to meet the challenges facing the Church and I think the progress that has been made is a great tribute to Bishop Murphy and to his leadership.
“We are at the end of a cycle of plans and I think we’ll just pause for a year, look at what has been achieved, see what’s left to be done and then we’ll create another plan for a period of three or five years. Overall, there is so much that looks to be going very well,” he said.
Perhaps importantly in a county like Kerry, Bishop Browne is acutely aware of the important role the GAA plays in Irish life and he appreciates that the organisation has had a tremendous impact in the strengthening of many communities.
“Every part of the county has a strong tradition and rivalry because of the club structure but apart from that, because the county has been so successful, there is a great unity and the diocese benefits from that. There is a great spirit and a wonderful loyalty.”
He is looking forward to spending an occasional Sunday afternoon in Fitzgerald Stadium – if not Croke Park – and he hopes to fit in a game of golf whenever his incredibly busy schedule permits.
“I have a general interest in sports but what I enjoy most is just wandering the countryside and seeing new areas. Kerry provides wonderful opportunity for that and I look forward to exploring new places to enjoy a sense of peace and a sense of nature,” he said.
A big fan of Raidió na Gaeltachta, he has a long-time link with west Kerry and regularly reflects on a memorable three-week September break in Ballyferriter in the late 1970s when, as a UCC science degree student, he attended a course to strengthen his grasp of the Irish language skills. One of his happier events since his ordination last July was when he returned to Ballyferriter to celebrate Mass in the native language.
