Bishop Fintan Monahan has announced a number of new anointments in the Diocese of Killaloe, which has a Catholic population of around 127,000.
Fr Des Hillery, PP, Nenagh was appointed Vicar General of the diocese during the year.
In Ballynacally/Lissycasey, Fr Joe Hourigan to retire as parish priest but continuing to lead the sacramental and pastoral work in the parish. Fr Albert McDonnell, to take on the administration of the parish and become the parish priest in addition to his existing duties.
Fr Martin O’Brien to retire as PP of Tulla and to take extended leave from duty on medical advice.
Fr Ignatius McCormack, Adm., Quin has recently been appointed principal of St Flannan’s College. Quin will now be covered by Ennis parish, pro-tem, supported by the Abbey cluster.
Fr Tom O’Gorman as Adm., will continue to live in the presbytery, Cloughleigh, effective from September 1.
Tulla will be covered by Ennis parish, pro-tem, supported by the East- Clare cluster, with
Fr Brendan Quinlivan as Adm., continuing to live in the presbytery, Ennis, effective from August 1.
Fr Gerard Nash, diocesan secretary, is to be Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Development.
Fr Arnold Rosney, Shannon, who was appointed co-ordinator of the World Meeting of Families for the diocese, is to continue as curate in Shannon and also to join the diocesan communications team.
Currently there are 70 Killaloe priests in full-time parish ministry (parish priests and curates); three Killaloe priests are engaged in full-time school chaplaincy, teaching and other pastoral work throughout Ireland.; three Killaloe priests serve overseas in various ministries, while 19 Killaloe priests are fully retired from active ministry.
The diocese also benefits from the service of five 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.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.