Laity stand in for priests as vocations plummet
Church sacristan Ken Hackett stands outside Ardfinnan Church in Co Tipperary where he led church services for a week when the local Catholic priest was on holidays
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Thursday July 02 2009
THE Catholic Church said yesterday that lay people will celebrate church services "more frequently" in the future as vocations fall.
A sacristan in Ardfinnan in south Tipperary has been leading services all week in the absence of the parish's only priest who is on holiday.
According to a Church spokesman, in the absence of a priest to say Mass, a liturgy of the Word -- involving readings, prayers and the distribution of pre-consecrated Holy Communion -- takes place each day.
"By and large such situations are exceptional, but they are likely to occur more frequently in the future," said Catholic spokesman Martin Long.
"The only minister who can celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist is a validly ordained priest."
Parishioners
Meanwhile, the sacristan involved said parishioners had been told of the arrangement months ago and that nobody had complained, despite a newspaper report yesterday claiming some church-goers had walked out.
Ken Hackett led services from Monday to Friday about a month ago, and is doing so again this week in the absence of current parish priest Fr Robert Power.
"They were quite used to it," he told the Irish Independent yesterday.
There were no walk-outs at yesterday's ceremony, he said, although one person "who wasn't a member of the parish" had left the church on Tuesday.
"She probably didn't know it was a Communion service."
Other than that, there was "no negative feedback", he insisted.
Fr Power is due to return from holiday tonight, according to Mr Hackett.
He is the only priest in the parish which includes churches in Ardfinnan, Ballybacon and Grange as well as two schools.
"The Church always tries to provide the eucharist for everybody, in practically all circumstances, and this is just one of those circumstances," Mr Hackett said. "With the lowering number of priests, they can't be there all the time."
Martin Long said that training in the Liturgy of the Word and Ministry of the Eucharist is given to lay people in every diocese.
"The coming together of the Liturgy of the Word and Holy Communion is going to become more and more common."
Callers to the 'Liveline' programme on RTE Radio One yesterday were fully behind Mr Hackett.
A listener named Marie said: "With all the trouble that has gone on in the Catholic Church, they need people. I think it's great because it's also in a very quiet, spiritual place and it should be allowed, especially for the older generation."
Sean, who studied theology at Clonliffe College, said: "It would be a liturgical celebration that is encouraged by the Church. So long as the guy doesn't try to say Mass."
- CONOR KANE and ALLISON BRAY
