Catholic parishioners in Clones and in Killeevan-Currin-Aghabog are to share a parish priest with Roslea across the border in Co Fermanagh, under a new set of appointments announced by the Bishop of Clogher, Larry Duffy.
Very Rev John Chester, already parish priest of Roslea, will also become parish priest of Clones and of Killeevan-Currin and Aghabog, Northern Sound reported on Wednesday, 14 October. He will remain resident in the parish of Roslea.
Gap left by August retirement
The move follows the diocese's main round of clerical changes, published by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference on 18 August. That list confirmed that Very Rev Jim Moore, parish priest of Clones and of Killeevan-Currin-Aghabog, was to retire, with the changes taking effect from 1 September unless otherwise stated. Wednesday's announcement sets out who will now carry responsibility for the two west Monaghan parishes.
Two more appointments across the border
The other changes are in Fermanagh and Tyrone. Very Rev Canon Jimmy McPhillips, parish priest of Lisnaskea and Maguiresbridge (Aghalurcher) and of Newtownbutler (Galloon), is also to become parish priest of Brookeborough-Fivemiletown (Aghavea-Aughintaine), and will live in Maguiresbridge. Fr Joseph Nnamdi Mokwe, of the Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria, is to be priest-in-residence in Dromore.
The Impartial Reporter said the priests take on the additional responsibilities from 11 October, with Fr Mokwe starting in Dromore from Tuesday, 13 October.
"Burdens of responsibility"
Bishop Duffy said he was "very conscious of the many responsibilities that Fr John, Canon Jimmy and several other priests across the Diocese have taken on in recent years and months in terms of assuming responsibility for additional parishes."
"I really appreciate their commitment in taking on the extra work," he said. "It reminds us once more of the burdens of responsibility that we carry, that there is an ever-growing need to share that responsibility into the future."
A diocese stretched thin
The bishop set out the scale of the problem in his August statement. He said 53% of the diocese's priests are aged over 70, some fully retired and others still in active ministry, often part-time. Just 21 priests are under 65 and only nine are under 60. He said many priests had already taken on extra parishes, and that providing a priest for every parish was "very challenging".
The Diocese of Clogher covers all of County Monaghan, nearly all of Fermanagh and parts of Tyrone, Donegal, Louth and Cavan, with 37 parishes and 85 churches. In August Bishop Duffy pointed to permanent deacons, lay ministry, parish and pastoral area councils, and priests from overseas as part of the answer. He said he remained in contact with a number of international priests who he hoped could take up appointments in the months ahead.
For Clones and Killeevan-Currin-Aghabog, the practical change is that their parish priest will be based in Roslea and will look after three parishes. Mass times and parish contacts are set by each parish, so parishioners should check their local parish newsletter or office for any changes.
