History was made last Wednesday with an announcement from the Papal Nuncio about the future of the Catholic dioceses in the west. At present there are six dioceses in the western province, the archdiocese of Tuam and suffragan sees of Achonry, Clonfert, Elphin, Galway/Kilmacduagh and Killala.
Following the immediate retirement of Killala Bishop, John Fleming, and the transfer of Achonry Bishop, Paul Dempsey, to Dublin as Auxiliary Bishop, the six western dioceses will only have three bishops. Clonfert already ‘shares’ Bishop Michael Duignan (as Apostolic Administrator) with Galway/Kilmacduagh.
The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, announced that Tuam Archbishop, Francis Duffy, will also be Apostolic Administrator for Killala while Elphin Bishop, Kevin Doran, will be Apostolic Administrator for Achonry.
Over time it is expected that the role of Apostolic Administrator will be ‘subsumed’ and the dioceses affected will merge. In effect the six diocese will be reduced to three.
Killala’s Synodality
Killala Bishop, John Fleming, who has retired after reaching the clerical retirement age of 75, has been a truly remarkable leader of the small north Mayo/south Sligo diocese. A quiet unassuming man, Bishop Fleming has been supportive of his priests and people over his 22 years in Mayo.
Killala can take a bow in being the leading diocese in the country when it comes to Synodality – the new pathway of choice by Pope Francis for the future of the church. Synodality uses the inverted pyramid approach whereby everyone has a say and, following discernment, a path forward is worked out with everyone on board. It’s not ‘a mere democratic exercise but a listening experience for all, guided by the Holy Spirit following discernment through prayer’.
Killala has been engaged in such an exercise for the past few years under the leadership of competent lay people and supported by Bishop Fleming and his priests. There have been bumps on the road, but they are dealt with by everyone as they arise.
The ‘priesthood of the baptised’ rather than the ‘clerical priesthood’ ensures that everyone is treated equally. All opinions and positions matter, and are respected.
Decisions are not ‘imposed from on high’ but rather talked out with everyone being listened to and time spent discerning the will of God in the given situation. One result of this is that you know whether it is ‘spirit’ led or ‘vested interest’ led.
Bishop Fleming has been to the forefront in embracing the definition of church as ‘people of God’. He will be sorely missed in Killala and the loss of leadership skills to the Irish Church will be keenly felt. The words from the Nunc Dimittis (the Canticle of Simeon) in Luke’s Gospel spring to mind: “At last all powerful master you give leave to your servant to go in peace…”. Bishop Fleming is wished years of peaceful retirement.
‘Careful discernment’
Ireland currently has 26 dioceses. Most of the dioceses (24) were agreed at the Synod of Rath Breasail in 1111. These included Tuam and Cong. Updates were made at the Synod of Kells in 1152, which also introduced the ‘Pallia’ for the new Archbishops of Armagh, Cashel, Tuam and Dublin.
Today, Mayo is served by three dioceses, Tuam, Achonry and Killala. In the 12th century, borders were more fluid and the Mayo diocese was sometimes part of Tuam and other times an ‘independent see’. Ireland was still a very Celtic rather than Roman church having, just emerged from the monastic era, Ireland’s golden era of ‘Saints and Scholars’.
The Mayo diocese eventually came under Tuam with the Archbishop as Apostolic Administrator. Final union with Tuam occurred around 1631. Mayo Abbey served as the episcopal seat. Its ruins and history are both worthy of exploration, as are the lives of the Bishops of Mayo.
Ireland’s 26 dioceses have 1,365 parishes, 2,650 churches and 1,700 priests. The average age of priests is 70 .
Responding to the changes, Tuam Archbishop Francis Duffy said: “Any such change would involve living communities and could not be simply structural or administrative. It would require careful discernment over some time, involving the whole people of God in the respective Dioceses.”
Killala, being ‘synodality aware’ are already master purveyors of discernment. Interesting times loom ahead. Onwards, in nomine Dei.
OPINION: Redrawing diocesan boundaries in the west
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18.04.2024
History was made last Wednesday with an announcement from the Papal Nuncio about the future of the Catholic dioceses in the west. At present there are six dioceses in the western province, the archdiocese of Tuam and suffragan sees of Achonry, Clonfert, Elphin, Galway/Kilmacduagh and Killala.
Following the immediate retirement of Killala Bishop, John Fleming, and the transfer of Achonry Bishop, Paul Dempsey, to Dublin as Auxiliary Bishop, the six western dioceses will only have three bishops. Clonfert already ‘shares’ Bishop Michael Duignan (as Apostolic Administrator) with Galway/Kilmacduagh.
The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, announced that Tuam Archbishop, Francis Duffy, will also be Apostolic Administrator for Killala while Elphin Bishop, Kevin Doran, will be Apostolic Administrator for Achonry.
Over time it is expected that the role of Apostolic Administrator will be ‘subsumed’ and the dioceses affected will merge. In effect the six diocese will be reduced to three.
Killala’s Synodality
Killala Bishop, John Fleming, who has retired after........
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