A new book on the priesthood, Priesthood Today, is set to be launched on October 22, the feast of St John Paul II, at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The volume, edited by Bishop Phonsie Cullinan of Waterford and Lismore and Chair of the Council of Vocations, brings together essays from priests, religious, and lay people reflecting on “where they feel priesthood in Ireland is at today.”
Speaking with The Irish Catholic, Bishop Cullinan said the project was born out of the pressing question: “How can we clarify the role of the priest in a synodal church, where many priests are experiencing a certain crisis of identity? Where do they fit into a synodal church, and what is the laity’s role vis-à-vis the priesthood? Some feel a confusion or a diminution. We want a clarification on the role of the priest.”
The publication comes shortly after the release of “Baptised and Sent”, the pre-synodal document for the Irish Church ahead of the assembly, set for October 18, 2025 at the Kilkenny Convention Centre. Bishop Cullinan welcomed the document’s focus on baptism as “a good place to start,” emphasising that all vocations flow from this sacrament.
“The first vocation of us all is to be holy,” he said. “Whether this blossoms into priestly or religious life or marriage remains to be seen. There is no competition among vocations. All are linked, all are expressions of God’s grace.”
He added: “The role of the priest is to sanctify the people, then the goal of the people is to sanctify the world in the spirit of ‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’”
On vocations, Bishop Cullinan stressed that “nobody has a vocation in isolation,” highlighting the role of family, parish, and community. “Family ministry is the seedbed. The parish has to play a part in vocation. We also need to declare proudly and openly that it is an option for men, and to do it fearlessly.”
