Decline in parishes is about more than a decline in the number of priests

The recent consultation with the Catholic laity, described as the “synodal pathway”, was a helpful exercise in assessing where the church is, and where its future pathway lies. The consultation took place in Ireland at a time when the child abuse plague had shattered trust.

The age profile and workload of priests was a concern common to all dioceses. In the report of the Dublin Archdiocese it was remarked that the “current model of parish is no longer sustainable”. It speaks of the role of women and “new ministries” but it’s not entirely clear as to what these refer.

The Dublin report mentions the positive influence of “people coming to Dublin from different cultures”. This could be examined further. One sign of life in the church relates to the “new Irish”. Many new Irish are Catholics. In response to the inflow of immigrants and the resulting changing nature of community, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin initiated a “Festival of Peoples” in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral in January 2005.

Could it be that economics will be a driver of change? Statistics for the Share collection in Dublin in 2021 show that €2.4 million was collected in parishes, while €1.1 million was returned to parishes, ranging from €168,000 for the pro-Cathedral to €5,560 for Kilbride and Barndarrig. Support for the central diocesan administration services amounted to €1.88 million, more than the total assistance to parishes.

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Proposals to deal with the lack of priests include the clustering of parishes to share resources and personnel as well as the closure of churches.

The size of dioceses varies greatly in terms of stated Catholic population, parishes, priests and number of churches, ranging from a population of 34,826 in the diocese of Achonry to 1.16 million in the Archdiocese of Dublin, over 30 times bigger.

Perhaps some of the smaller dioceses could be amalgamated, yielding possible economies at a time of falling church income and freeing resources for the true mission of the church to spread the gospel.

Proposals to deal with the lack of priests include the clustering of parishes to share resources and personnel as well as the closure of churches. Very few closures have taken place, but clustering is increasingly common. It generally means an increased workload for the priest/administrator.

Lay involvement

Clearly, more lay involvement is essential. For example, lay people can administer Baptism and act at funerals. The increase in the number of deacons is a hopeful sign. The most fundamental requirement is an apostolic laity who seek to share their faith and serve their neighbours.

Clustering of parishes has also occurred in the Church of Ireland, where a priest may be allocated to more than one parish. For example, within the Mullingar Union of Parishes, Reverend Alastair Graham has charge of four parishes.

The decline in parishes is linked to more than a decline in the number of priests. The decline in religious affiliation appears to be associated with the perceived lack of relevance of some Church teaching to the lives of ordinary people; this is particularly so in relation to teaching on sexual morality.

The conclusion of Church of Ireland bishop Harold Miller that “we are losing young people after Confirmation” may be partly explained by the fact that the teenage years are the years when sexuality comes to the fore.

Smaller premises might be no harm. In fact, much smaller, more intimate premises with some adjoining space for parishioners to meet and have a cup of tea might be attractive

Pope Francis has been reorienting the church as a “field hospital after battle” so that it can better recognise the reality of human lives as distinct from presenting a strict code of rules.

How might parishes be rebuilt so as to attract young and old? For a start, smaller premises might be no harm. In fact, much smaller, more intimate premises with some adjoining space for parishioners to meet and have a cup of tea might be attractive.

Large, often empty, buildings which are wasteful of heat and light might be converted for other purposes. Co-operation with local authorities might yield housing developments, as is the case in Dublin’s Finglas.

Exploring and building on the connection between local government, which had its origins in the civic parish, and the church parish, could benefit both the secular and the sacred. A good place to begin such co-operation might be in relation to the environment. Environmental concerns tend to be very much on the agenda of the younger generation.

The “care for our common home”, which Pope Francis regards as a priority for the church, requires local action as well as political and church leadership. For example, one Church of Ireland minister, former Green Party leader Rev Trevor Sargent, continues his environmental work in Waterford, together with his parish work, with the provision of organically grown vegetables and other activities which support the environment. It’s a headline which others might follow.

Finola Kennedy is author of the book, Local Matters: Parish, Local Government and Community in Ireland (IPA, 2022), which will be launched at the Institute of Public Administration in Dublin on Tuesday, November 29th.