Two Nigerian priests have been invited by Bishop Leo O’Reilly to serve in the Catholic diocese of Kilmore as vocations there dwindle. They will arrive in the autumn.
"There was a time when we sent missionaries to Nigeria, now the wheel has come full circle and they are sending missionaries back to us," he told Shannonside Radio.
Bishop O'Reilly is also to explore the possibility of having married men as priests and the appointment of women as deacons. His diocese, Kilmore, includes almost all of Co Cavan, parts of Leitrim, Fermanagh, Meath and Sligo.
According to the diocese's recently launched pastoral plan, Bishop O'Reilly "will liaise with the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference to explore the establishment of a commission akin to the one in Brazil under the leadership of Bishop Erwin Kräutler and Cardinal Claudio Hummes to study the possibility of ordaining married men to the priesthood as well as appointing women deacons".
“This is a direct response to Pope Francis’s words to Bishop Kräutler that ‘the bishops, the regional bishops’ conferences, should make brave, courageous suggestions’.”
Cardinal Hummes is a personal friend of Pope Francis and helped him choose his papal name, as the then new Pope explained in his first general audience on March 16th 2013. He told assembled media how during the conclave which elected him he sat next to Cardinal Hummes "a great friend, a great friend".
The new Pope continued “when the thing became ‘dangerous’”, (his vote was increasing) Cardinal Hummes “comforted me, and when the votes reached the two thirds level, there was the expected applause, because the Pope had been elected – and he embraced me, and kissed me, and said to me: ‘do not forget about the poor....and that struck me…the poor…immediately I thought of St Francis of Assisi…”
The recent launch of the Kilmore pastoral diocesan plan 2015-2020 was told that 52 of its 77 priests were over 60 and, of the remaining 25, four were under 40, 10 were under 50, and 25 were under 60.
Fr Enda Murphy, diocesan director of pastoral services and youth ministry, said "the tectonic plates of faith and culture have shifted and the ground which once appeared so solid under our feet has been shaken".
The new pastoral plan followed an 18 month a listening survey throughout the diocese which culminated in a two day diocesan assembly last October.
