by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
THE Catholic Church in Inishowen is facing crisis
with the number of priests here set to decline
rapidly over the next decade.
Derry Diocesan spokesman, Fr Michael Canny, revealed
that many parishes in the peninsula will be forced
to amalgamate in the coming years.
“People seem to have a notion that there are plenty
priests in the Derry Diocese but this is not the
case. The factual reality is that in less than ten
years time there will not be a priest in every
parish,” he said.
“I think it is inevitable that parishes in Inishowen
will have to join together with falling numbers
practicing and fewer and fewer joining the
priesthood as a result.”
“We may well be faced with the scenario where Malin,
Carn, Culdaff and Clonmany will form one large
parish. Another could comprise of Buncrana, Fahan
and Inch while a third may cover the Moville and
Iskaheen area,” he added.
Rev. Canny said that there will still be enough
priests in proportion to the amount of practicing
Catholics here but not every parish would have a
resident priest.
“As Ireland becomes more secularised we are drawing
from a smaller pool of people. Religion is no longer
as important as it used to be for many people so
numbers joining the priesthood have declined,” he
said.
The Clonmany-born priest said that the recent
revelations of clerical abuse had left the Church in
a ‘sorry situation’.
“These crimes coupled with the failure of leadership
to take appropriate action and stand up to the
culture of the time leave us in a sorry situation.
As if the past was not bad enough we are also trying
to paddle against the current of western secular
culture where life-long commitment and belief in the
existence of a God is seen as something outdated.” |
