'Big challenges' due to lack of priests, says Bishop of Cork and Ross 

With the Catholic Church facing a growing shortage of priests, the Bishop of Cork and Ross Fintan Gavin has confirmed that the diocese is exploring the possibility of having more lay people step up to become ministers of the Church.

Speaking to The Echo, Bishop Gavin said lay ministers can play a vital role in parish life in the Catholic Church, assisting priests and making contributions to different ministries.

Bishop Gavin explained what Cork and Ross is doing to address the shortage of priests in the diocese.

“There are big challenges, as we have a diminishing number of priests,” he said.

“You have to be proactive locally. So we are doing a number of things to address it. I think there is an awareness within the priests and the people of a need for greater co-responsibility. Priests and people working together. That means helping to form people for those roles, so there is much more lay ministry and lay leadership.

“That is one of the things we are looking at and how we put those supports in place.”

Bishop Gavin added: “I think there is also a desire on the part of people in parishes to put more emphasis on baptism, how we welcome people into the Church, and how they are formed. How we can celebrate the Sunday Eucharist as a moment that is really central to our lives, through music, prayer, and participation.”

The shortage of priests is impacting the Catholic Church across Ireland. In April, over 60 parishioners were commissioned as Church lay leaders in the Diocese of Killala, Mayo.

On the declining number of people regularly going to Mass, the bishop said that the Cork and Ross diocese is always looking to be proactive in this regard.

“What we are trying to do is to continue to grow those faith communities and parish communities, bringing people together.

“All the research and from our own research, people want to gather and they want to connect. There has probably never been as much isolation and loneliness. One of the things that our faith communities offers is the sense of connection, belonging, and meaning.”