Tag Archives: Bishop Kieran O’Reilly

Fr Des Hillery, a native of Miltown Malbay, has been elected as Administrator of the Diocese of Killaloe. This follows the installation of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel and Emly on Sunday last, when the Diocese of Killaloe officially became vacant. At a meeting of the College of Consultors of the Diocese Fr Hillery, who is parish priest in Nenagh, was elected to his new post. A diocesan administrator has responsibility for administering the day-to-day affairs of the diocese while a new bishop is awaited. On Wednesday evening, Fr Hillery, a member of a well-known West Clare family, said, “I am privileged to accept this new role and hope to continue the good work of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly and Bishop Willie Walsh in encouraging us to respond to the challenges of the Gospel. I hope to do all that I can to facilitate the continued implementation of the Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Killaloe, which recognises our …

IN 1860, over 1,200 volunteers from Ireland travelled to Italy to fight for the Papal States in the Papal Wars. An appeal was made throughout the country for funds to support the volunteers. Twenty-three Catholic parishes from Clare published lists of subscribers in newspapers of the day and, now, members of Clare Roots Society have undertaken to transcribe the names of these subscribers, resulting in a database of over 4,000 names. This week, members of Clare Roots Society handed over the Papal Army database to county librarian, Helen Walsh. In recent times, staff at the library’s Local Studies Centre came across extensive lists of subscribers names published in The Clare Journal, the local newspaper of the day. The subscriptions were in response to an appeal for funds to support the Irish volunteers to the Papal Army in the summer of 1860. Peter Beirne, Local Studies Centre librarian, immediately saw the value of these lists to genealogy researchers tracing Clare families. …

An open forum, organised in protest at the now postponed imposition of the Permanent Diaconate in the Killaloe diocese, heard harsh criticism of Bishop Kieran O’Reilly from several disillusioned priests. On August 15, The Clare Champion revealed that married men in the diocese could train to become deacons and preside over baptisms, weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. However, women cannot become deacons. In a letter issued to parishes last weekend, Bishop O’Reilly said that, following consultations, he had decided not to proceed with the introduction of the Permanent Diaconate “at this time”. At Monday’s forum in the Dromoland Inn, which was attended by more than 200 people, Ogonnelloe, Bodyke and Tuamgraney-based Fr Donagh O’Meara asked how and why the original decision to introduce a Permanent Diaconate was arrived at. “I’d like to ask a fundamental question; how are decisions made in our diocese and who makes them?” he queried. He expressed particular frustration in the light of the Killaloe diocese …

MARRIED men could preside over baptisms, weddings, funerals and other Catholic Church ceremonies in Clare in the coming years, after the Bishop of Killaloe opened the door for permanent deacons in the diocese. Deacons, according to Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, “will be ordained to work alongside priests and lay ministers, not to replace them”. Married candidates “must be over 35 years old” and have “the formal consent of his wife, who also participates in the formation programme”. Unmarried men, over the age of 25, may also become deacons but must make “a solemn promise of celibacy”. The move was described by Bishop O’Reilly, in a pastoral letter read in parishes around the county at the weekend, as a “restoration” of the Permanent Diaconate. He is inviting men, who are involved in “pastoral leadership in the diocese and believe that the Lord is calling them to the ministry of the Permanent Diaconate, to present themselves to the diocese and so begin a …

The annual appointments for the Diocese of Killaloe will be formally announced by Bishop Kieran O’Reilly on this Thursday. The appointments relate to clergy and pastoral workers and take effect from Friday, September 5. At present there are 82 priests serving in full-time parish ministry in the Diocese of Killaloe. Four Killaloe priests are engaged in full-time school chaplaincy, teaching and other pastoral work throughout Ireland. Additionally, three Killaloe priests serve overseas in various ministries, while 13 Killaloe priests are fully retired from active ministry. The diocese benefits from the service of seven priests from other dioceses or religious congregations serving as priests in parishes of the diocese. The diocese also benefits from the ministry of the clergy based at the Franciscan Friary in Ennis and the Cistercian Monastery at Mount St Joseph’s, Roscrea. One student is studying for priesthood for the Diocese of Killaloe, at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The Catholic population of the diocese is around 127,000.

THE results of a review of practice in the Diocese of Killaloe, which was undertaken by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, has been published. Safeguarding practices for the diocese were assessed and it found that 44 of 48 criteria have been fully met, with the remaining four being partially met at the time of the audit. The report shows that allegations have been made against 19 Diocesan priests since 1975, six of whom are still alive. Of the six who are alive, two are in ministry, three are out of ministry but still members of the Diocese and one has retired. One priest in the Diocese has been convicted of having committed an offence or offences against a child or young person in the Diocese sinche 1975. Speaking at the launch of the review this afternoon Bishop Kieran O’Reilly said; “The diocese of Killaloe extends our heartfelt apologies to all those who suffered …

THE new Ennis National School will be officially opened next month by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn. As well as the minister, the official opening on May 16 will also be attended by Bishop Kieran O’Reilly. A series of activities and events have been organised for the day to mark the occasion. Among these will be the publication of a new book exploring the history of Ennis National School. The new state of the art school at Ashline opened its doors to its first pupils back in August. Among the many benefits of the school’s new location is the greater ease of access and increased parking. There was a concerted effort between Ennis Town Council, Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána and the school authorities prior to the school’s opening relating to the Travel Plan. And it is hoped that sustainable travel methods – walking, cycling, ‘walking bus’, car-pooling – will be used by increased numbers of students in keeping …