THIS week the Dominican Order announced that it is to withdraw its Limerick priests from their base at St Saviour’s Priory as part of a national reshuffle brought about by the ongoing decline in vocations
Despite the small number of Dominican clergy members based here, the move is a historic one for the city as it ends almost 800 years of Dominican ministry in Limerick.
Following the announcement, Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy acknowledged that the diocese is “also faced with significant challenges by the fall in clergy numbers”.
Early this year, a reshuffle of personnel took place across the diocese after six priests retired. Only one priest expected to be ordained here in the next six years.
Of the 115 priests currently serving in the Limerick diocese, just 78 are in active ministry, and these are expected to cover larger areas and carry a heavier workload in spite of their advancing years.
At the time, the Bishop said it was too early to “talk of a massive crisis” with regard to clergy numbers, but warned that the services they provide will change.
If the Catholic Church is to survive in the long-term, however, it will take more than rearranging Mass schedules and redistributing priests.
It needs to finally waive the compulsory vow of celibacy, place women on an equal footing and allow them to also be ordained as priests.
The life of a priest is a lonely one at times, and many will privately admit they would have loved to have married and had children if they had been permitted to do so.
The daunting notion of a life of celibacy goes against how most humans are biologically programmed. It is unnatural and likely to be a key factor behind the dwindling number of men seeking to enter the seminary.
If the Church really wants to see a revival, it needs to become more relevant, and its members need to be able to relate to their congregations.
Ensuring a gender balance with clergy members living among the community experiencing the same relationship and family problems as the people they serve, would surely go some way towards achieving that.
