The full text of the homily can be read HERE.
Some Extracts
(1) What we are experiencing today is a crisis in a particular historical form of Church. The Church, however, is more than any one particular historical form. Since change occurs over a period of years, our generation cannot easily see the contours—not to mention the final form—of what is going to emerge. However, just as the raindrops on the footpath suggests the imminence of rain, we are surrounded by signs of change that are as profound as they are imminent.
(2) What is now emerging is a different sense of “ownership” of the Church and its mission—from a “clergy-owned” to a Church truly “owned” by the People of God. This change, indeed, this transformation will take time. But there’s more: it also implies a different role and a new self-understanding by those of us in ministerial priesthood. We are servants of the Gospel of God (see Mark 1:14)—but we cannot continue failing to appreciate that all the baptised share this mission. We may no longer ignore that God’s people are the Church, and their contribution cannot be underestimated in the Church.
(3) Among the raindrops falling on the Church’s path today are those that
make it clear that the current parish system is not sustainable. The way
we are Church in Dublin needs to evolve as the resources available no
longer allow me to appoint priests, deacons and other pastoral ministers
to meet the pastoral needs of every faith community. Moreover, the
decreasing number of priests cannot limit themselves to an ever
increasing number of sacramental celebrations. This situation requires
decision and discernment to know what we bring with us from the past
into the future.
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"We're getting few vocations for the priesthood. The calls we're getting now are for the diaconate." Read Fr John Gilligan's interview in The Irish Catholic, 10 June 2021, p.17 HERE.
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See the June issue of the monthly newsletter, eJ4, HERE.
