Home 
Parish Parish Projects A Priestless Parish
Main Menu
CatholicIreland.net News
Creighton Says Vatican Embassy May Open in Two Years
The Irish embassy in the Vatican may re-open “within the next two years” a Government minister ....
Priests murdered in Guatemala and Mexico
Two priests were recently murdered within a day of each other in Guatemala and Mexico.
In ....
Couple 78 years married bear witness to lifelong marriage
A couple married 78 years have won Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s Longest Married Couple Award ....
| A Priestless Parish |
 One of my Grannies died in 1967. At that time there were three priests in our parish, two on one side and one on the other. This had been the situation for years. The impact of Vatican II was filtering through but there was no problem when there were three men to implement it.In 1978 my other Granny died and by that time a major change had taken place. Instead of a Parish Priest and a curate residing in Jonesboro, one Parish Priest was appointed and the one curate continued in Dromintee. Both clergy and parishioners embraced the reduction and there was no noticeable upheaval. For the past year, this has been a one man parish and this has brought reality to the place. While the role of the laity has been expanded, it is difficult for one man to respond to every demand and maintain a normal lifestyle. The shortage of vocations really hit home when our Parish Priest got ill in January of this year and has been on sick leave, virtually leaving the parish without a priest. Our Annual Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes was scheduled for February 3rd. I took the initiative and with the help and support of many priests from the surrounding area we had a great Novena with a different priest officiating practically every night. There was a lot of work to be done ensuring that all involved were familiar with the routine and this included musicians and various groups leading the Rosary. After the Novena, the next big hurdle was preparing the parish envelopes for distribution by the end of February. Enlisting the help of old distributors and contacting new ones meant the task was completed on time. Parallel to this, remote preparation had been made for getting new lay ministers before the end of January. But the letters of invitation had to be sent out and as three different nights for training had been planned, the speakers had to be contacted and much preparation made. The actual training nights and follow up were a responsibility too. The Easter Ceremonies were then upon us. To compound the situation, the sacristan in Dromintee was absent due to illness. As Holy Thursday was celebrated in Dromintee there were many tasks to be done. Besides the Washing of Feet, new lay ministers were commissioned and others re-commissioned during Mass. Making sure that everyone knew what to do (and when) was a mamouth task, but it turned out to be a happy, prayerful and memorable occasion. Arrangements were made to bring Holy Communion to the sick and housebound for Easter. This brought its own blessings. Each weekend I felt it was important that the visiting priest was welcomed on arrival and brought up to date with some items in the bulletin. Final arrangements for Baptisms etc. had also to be passed on. The recognition by the parishioners of my role was encouraging and issues, that could have become problems, were simply dealt with. Thankfully I was well equipped for the task. I confidently brought my skills, expertise and experience to this ministry. My saving grace was that I was guided and supported by the Parish Priest, even in his illness, so I was not acting in isolation. Over the weeks it became clear to me how peopleís expectations of the priestís role can be totally unrealistic, and how constant demands are made on him. I got an insight into the tasks required on a day to day basis and learned that the priest has a lot to remember! To quote from "Priestless Parishes" by Virginia Stillwell, my realisation that I have gifts that could serve the needs of the parish came to fruition and my conviction that lay ecclesial ministry is a gift of the Spirit of the Church has been strengthened. The experience, for which I am very grateful, has enriched me, fulfilled me and helped me grow. In conclusion, my observation is that the priest, servus servandi, is called to be all things to all men and women a daunting challenge! Geraldine Murphy |
© All material on this website is copyright of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry, Archdiocese of Armagh
Search
CatholicIreland.net Features
