Priest makes plea
A West of Ireland Catholic bishop has admitted that his diocese is almost
bankrupt and that his clergy are paid less than most priests in the country’s
other 25 dioceses.
In a pastoral letter, the Bishop of Killala John Fleming revealed that
in the past five years no priest had been ordained for the diocese and
there are at present no seminarians studying for the priesthood.
He said: “There is no chance of an ordination before 2012.
“In the meantime, a number of priests will retire from ministry
with an increase in workload for the priests who are remaining.”
Appealing for an increase in weekly donations from parishioners, Bishop
Fleming stressed that extra funds were needed not just to sustain the
present level of social and educational services provided by the country’s
smallest diocese but also to secure “an acceptable level”
of income, accommodation and health care for retired priests.
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