Tag Archives: Permanent Diaconate

A DIRECTOR of Services with Clare County Council has been ordained a deacon of the Diocese of Cloyne. Leonard Cleary, who is Director of Rural Development and responsible for the West Clare Municipal District, is now a permanent deacon, assigned to minister in the Parish of Charleville in north County Cork. Mr Cleary who is from Corofin and a very popular member of staff at the local authority in Clare, served as a pastoral assistant in Charleville for some time before his ordination on Sunday August 15. In his capacity as pastoral assistant, Mr Cleary has assisted in preparation for the sacraments and addressed the parents of the Confirmation and First Holy Communion children. He has read the Sacred Scriptures at Mass, acted as Minister of the Eucharist and collected. Mr Cleary also attended all the meetings of the Charleville Pastoral Council until the pandemic came along. Last year, Mr Cleary was made an acolyte of the Diocese of Cloyne, …

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 …