BOOK LAUNCH

Photos by Michael McCormack

Editor of this publication, Fr Eugene Duffy, offers an overview of the issue at the centre of this collection of essays – the restructuring of Irish Dioceses.

Featured in Irish Times Monday September 26th, 2022

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The Second Vatican Council expressly requested that “a prudent revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken as soon as possible”. It went on to say: “This can be done by dividing, distributing or uniting dioceses, changing their boundaries or appointing a more suitable place for the episcopal See, or finally, and especially in those dioceses which comprise large cities, by establishing a new internal organisation.”

Such reorganisation of dioceses has happened in other parts of the world where, for example, many smaller dioceses have been merged, large dioceses have been divided or new dioceses have been established. The question of diocesan mergers is only beginning to surface in Ireland.

Last February, Pope Francis announced that he was appointing the Bishop of Clonfert to be also the bishop of the neighbouring diocese of Galway, on the retirement of the incumbent. The new arrangement has been described as “the union of the two dioceses in the person of the bishop.”

This, then, is the first time that the mandate of Vatican II has been applied in Ireland. There is a general expectation that this is just the beginning of a process of rationalisation of the Irish diocesan landscape, despite the fact that there has been no public discussion initiated by church leadership regarding how this might best be done.

It is opportune that the Irish bishops who have committed the Church in Ireland to a synodal pathway would include this issue of diocesan restructuring as an important item on the agenda. Following the Council, Pope St Paul VI recommended that a wide consultative process be used in determining the reorganisation of dioceses.

A diocese with its bishop is a non-negotiable aspect of ecclesial organisation. It has a primarily pastoral mission. Therefore, it should be of such size that the bishop can know his ministers and his people; have the capacity to give expression to the nature of the church; have the resources of personnel and finances to carry out its mission; and be capable of generating a sense of identity and belonging for its members.

Although a diocese does not always have to be defined by a geographical territory, this remains normally the case. Two issues then come into play, population and geographical space. The Irish situation is challenging in both these respects.

There are huge imbalances among the 26 Irish dioceses, territorially and demographically. The population of the Dublin diocese exceeds the combined populations of the 13 smallest dioceses. Several Irish dioceses are very small by international standards, some with populations of fewer than 40,000 people.

The current diocesan boundaries were set down in the 12th century and have remained largely unchanged. Even then, the fixing of boundaries was challenging pastorally, politically and economically.

Now the attachment to these boundaries is more on the part of the clergy than on the part of the lay faithful, but even these clerical loyalties are waning. Furthermore, the Irish diocesan boundaries no longer coincide with any other civil administrative or political units on the island, whereas the 12th century boundaries were also of political significance.

Dioceses should normally generate, or at least be based on, a sense of place and a sense of identity. Thus, they often rely on existing spaces that yield the possibility of forming a sense of belonging. In the current Irish context, the existing county boundaries may offer such a possibility since these are already units for local government and are used by several social and sporting organisations to foster senses of identity, loyalty and belonging.

The Second Vatican Council showed that merging or dividing dioceses are not the only ways to address restructuring. It allows for other possibilities, for example, the deployment of episcopal vicars to oversee specific regions of a large diocese; and the better use of the metropolitan/provincial structure, whereby various responsibilities might be centred in the provincial offices and then smaller dioceses could attend to their more immediate pastoral demands.

Indeed, a genuine collegial approach by bishops, willing to share resources and facilities across diocesan boundaries, could also address some of the difficulties faced by smaller or less populous dioceses.

Merging neighbouring dioceses as individual bishops retire is not the best solution in the long term. Ultimately, the solution demands inclusion for consideration in the synodal processes currently under way. Indeed, it is unthinkable that an Irish synodal process would not engage with the question of restructuring dioceses when there is such an urgent need to do so.

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Rev Dr Eugene Duffy is vicar for pastoral renewal and development in Achonry diocese. His book The Restructuring of Irish Dioceses was launched in St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, on Friday September 30th

BOOK LAUNCH

Photos by Michael McCormack

The Second Vatican Council expressly requested that “a prudent revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken as soon as possible”. It went on to say: “This can be done by dividing, distributing or uniting dioceses, changing their boundaries or appointing a more suitable place for the episcopal See, or finally, and especially in those dioceses which comprise large cities, by establishing a new internal organisation.”

Such reorganisation of dioceses has happened in other parts of the world where, for example, many smaller dioceses have been merged, large dioceses have been divided or new dioceses have been established. The question of diocesan mergers is only beginning to surface in Ireland.

Last February, Pope Francis announced that he was appointing the Bishop of Clonfert to be also the bishop of the neighbouring diocese of Galway, on the retirement of the incumbent. The new arrangement has been described as “the union of the two dioceses in the person of the bishop.”

This, then, is the first time that the mandate of Vatican II has been applied in Ireland. There is a general expectation that this is just the beginning of a process of rationalisation of the Irish diocesan landscape, despite the fact that there has been no public discussion initiated by church leadership regarding how this might best be done.

It is opportune that the Irish bishops who have committed the Church in Ireland to a synodal pathway would include this issue of diocesan restructuring as an important item on the agenda. Following the Council, Pope St Paul VI recommended that a wide consultative process be used in determining the reorganisation of dioceses.

A diocese with its bishop is a non-negotiable aspect of ecclesial organisation. It has a primarily pastoral mission. Therefore, it should be of such size that the bishop can know his ministers and his people; have the capacity to give expression to the nature of the church; have the resources of personnel and finances to carry out its mission; and be capable of generating a sense of identity and belonging for its members.

Although a diocese does not always have to be defined by a geographical territory, this remains normally the case. Two issues then come into play, population and geographical space. The Irish situation is challenging in both these respects.

There are huge imbalances among the 26 Irish dioceses, territorially and demographically. The population of the Dublin diocese exceeds the combined populations of the 13 smallest dioceses. Several Irish dioceses are very small by international standards, some with populations of fewer than 40,000 people.

The current diocesan boundaries were set down in the 12th century and have remained largely unchanged. Even then, the fixing of boundaries was challenging pastorally, politically and economically.

Now the attachment to these boundaries is more on the part of the clergy than on the part of the lay faithful, but even these clerical loyalties are waning. Furthermore, the Irish diocesan boundaries no longer coincide with any other civil administrative or political units on the island, whereas the 12th century boundaries were also of political significance.

Dioceses should normally generate, or at least be based on, a sense of place and a sense of identity. Thus, they often rely on existing spaces that yield the possibility of forming a sense of belonging. In the current Irish context, the existing county boundaries may offer such a possibility since these are already units for local government and are used by several social and sporting organisations to foster senses of identity, loyalty and belonging.

The Second Vatican Council showed that merging or dividing dioceses are not the only ways to address restructuring. It allows for other possibilities, for example, the deployment of episcopal vicars to oversee specific regions of a large diocese; and the better use of the metropolitan/provincial structure, whereby various responsibilities might be centred in the provincial offices and then smaller dioceses could attend to their more immediate pastoral demands.

Indeed, a genuine collegial approach by bishops, willing to share resources and facilities across diocesan boundaries, could also address some of the difficulties faced by smaller or less populous dioceses.

Merging neighbouring dioceses as individual bishops retire is not the best solution in the long term. Ultimately, the solution demands inclusion for consideration in the synodal processes currently under way. Indeed, it is unthinkable that an Irish synodal process would not engage with the question of restructuring dioceses when there is such an urgent need to do so.

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Rev Dr Eugene Duffy is vicar for pastoral renewal and development in Achonry diocese. His book The Restructuring of Irish Dioceses was launched in St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, on Friday September 30th

Dear friends,

As part of our engagement with the Synodal Pathway, initiated by Pope Francis, I am holding a number of facilitated listening events in four venues across the diocese over the next few weeks. These meetings will be an opportunity for all of us together to reflect on our Church, to look at what is helping us to grow as communities of faith and to see where we can better support one another in our faith journey. Many parishioners have already returned their responses to the questionnaire I sent out last month, and I am grateful for those, which have surfaced many issues on which we will all need to reflect. The forthcoming meetings provide a further opportunity for us to hear one another in an even more open way. The meetings are open to all who wish to share their views on the Church, and I would welcome especially those who may feel alienated or who have felt let down by the Church in the past. It is by listening to one another and being in conversation that we can best discover where God is leading us at this time. Feel free to come to the venue which is most convenient for you.

The arrangements for our meetings:

Fr Peyton Cluster:  Tuesday, April 26^th Attymass – the Father Peyton Centre at 8.00 pm

St Attracta’s Cluster: Wednesday, April 27^th, Tubbercurry – An Chroi South Sligo Enterprise Centre (adjacent to Basta premises) at 8.00

St Joseph’s  Cluster:  Tuesday, May 3^rd, Swinford, the Gateway Hotel, at 8.00 pm

Tubbercurry Cluster: Wednesday, May 4^th, Ballisodare, the Parish Hall at 8.00 pm

With kind regards,

+Paul.

KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

Homily by Bishop Paul Dempsey

Knock Shrine 28^th January 2022

“Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud, the other saw stars.”  That little verse was shared with me by an old man many, many years ago.  It is deceptive in its simplicity, because it holds a very important truth.  We can all find ourselves in difficult and challenging situations, but what really matters is how we look at that situation.  Are we positive in our outlook or negative?  “Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars…”  As we reflect upon the many challenges our Church faces at this time, perhaps that little verse has something to say to us.  Are we positive in our outlook, knowing that the Lord walks with us and will guide us with his grace or are we burdened by a pessimistic attitude that says we are struggling and do not know the way forward?  Pope Francis is very strong in holding to the fact that the Lord journeys with us in the struggles and by his grace he will give us the light to respond.  One way of engaging with and responding to the current challenges we are experiencing is Synodality.  It is a process that is very close to Pope Francis’ heart. 

It is not a commonly used word or concept and therefore we might ask what it is?  Synodality is a Greek word coming from Syn-hodus.  “Syn” meaning “together” and “Hodus” meaning “the way.”  Therefore, it literally means “journeying together along the way.”  It is the coming together of the followers of Jesus to discern the way forward.  Pope Francis is inviting the whole Church, as a community of disciples, to discern and reflect upon the life and mission of the Church today.  Some people have expressed fear around this process, they see it as new territory.  But it is far from new!  Evidence of the first “Synod” can be found in Acts 15 where the Council of Jerusalem took place.  The infant Church was discussing whether Gentiles should become Jews before becoming Christians.  The Church gathered, argued, discerned, and listened to the Spirit!  That same Spirit showed them the way to go.   Of course the real essence of synod goes back much further and is at the very heart of the God we believe in.  If we look to our Trinitarian God, we have three persons, Father, Son, Spirit, journeying together as one, united in love.  The Church is invited to mirror this image of Trinity in its life and mission!

Some have fears about the process and how it might play out.  Pope Francis is very clear that the chief protagonist in synodality is the Holy Spirit.  If there is no Spirit than there is no synodality!  It is an ecclesial journey not a parliament.  Decisions are not made by the loudest voices or majority vote but by discernment, prayer, and listening.  In a very real sense, it is not an event as such, it is a way of being Church.  So we might ask where is the Spirit inviting us as a People of God in this moment?  What are our attitudes?  How are our structures set up?  Are we truly open to the call of the Gospel?  Are we living the mission Jesus has entrusted to us?  In order to do this, Pope Francis says we must listen to all the people of God so that we can make pastoral decisions in tune with God’s will for the Church today and for the future.

There are three areas he has asked us to focus on:

The first is Communion.  This reminds us that the model of Holy Trinity informs the Church.  We are called into unity.  We are united in the sacraments, most especially the Eucharist.  We share in one faith, one baptism.  Synodality reflects this unity and it very much reflects the vision of the Second Vatican Council, the People of God model.

The second area of focus is Participation.  It is very important to involve all members of the Church.  We are all qualified through the gifts we received from the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation.   We are all called to listen, reflect, discern, and dialogue together.

The third area of focus is Mission.  The very nature of the Church is missionary.  We are sent out to be the presence of Christ in the world and to establish the reign of God in the world.  Again this reflects the vision of the Second Vatican Council.  Some saw it as a modernisation of the Church however, it was truly a mission-oriented Council, responding to how the mission of the Church could happen in a changing world.

These themes also bring out how Pope Francis views synodality as a response to the call of the Second Vatican Council.  From a practical point of view, Synodality is happening at the level of the Universal Church which will culminate in the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023.  In parallel we have our own synodal journey happening in the Irish Church which will draw on the fruits of the Synod in Rome and we will take the further step to discern how we can enrich the life of the Church here in Ireland.  Our immediate challenge is to reach out to as many as possible to listen to what they want to say to the Church.  Many processes are underway or are beginning in our Dioceses and parishes.  I invite you to participate in these processes.  Many of us have members of our families who may have drifted away from the Church for various reasons.  Perhaps we now have a chance to reach out to them and ask if they would like to say something to the Church.  This is Pope Francis’ invitation to us all.    

In my preparation for this evening, I asked myself how this whole process of Synodality touches the reality and experience of the Irish Lieutenancy?  In my reflection I realised that you are very much living the model of Synodality in your lives as Knights and Dames.  At the very heart of your calling is to walk with and support Christians in the Holy Land.  That model of ministry and service is at the very heart of what Synodality is all about; “walking with” and supporting.  It is an outward looking ministry that supports our fellow Christians in prayerful solidarity and material support.  Through your ministry you have engaged with the challenges our brothers and sisters face in the reality of their lives.  You have supported various projects in education, seminary and humanitarian causes.  This is Synodality in action, this is the life of the Church in action!  As we embark upon the Synodal journey in the Universal Church and in our local Irish Church may we be inspired by your Christian witness.  

The Synodal journey is a challenging one.  It will not be easy.  We need to trust in the Spirit who is at the heart of the journey.  If we can do this then it offers us an exciting opportunity to listen, discern and respond to where the Spirit is calling us in the challenges the Church faces today.

“Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud and the other saw stars…”