The Diocese of Limerick has announced a series of clerical appointments for 2025, with Bishop Brendan Leahy outlining what he described as a “trinity of positive change” in response to the continuing decline in vocations to the priesthood in Ireland.
The threefold strategy includes promoting vocations among Irish young people, welcoming priests from other countries to assist, and increasing lay involvement in parishes.
“At the moment we have seven Nigerian priests, for example, and they are doing wonderful work so we are very grateful for them and must welcome them,” Bishop Leahy said.
Among those recently appointed is Fr Emmanuel Okwudinka, from south-east Nigeria, who has been named as Curate of the Cill Rois Pastoral Unit, comprising the parishes of Christ the King, Cratloe/Sixmilebridge and Our Lady of the Rosary. He had initially come to the diocese to study.
Fr Okwudinka told The Irish Catholic: “I think my part of Nigeria owes their faith to the Irish missionaries who evangelised the culture. We’re here to help out. We are giving back or paying forward what we received from the Irish missionaries. The school I went to was built by an Irish missionary, we owe a lot to them.
“Some of the schools are even named after Irish missionaries who helped and brought the Faith to Nigeria and despite the difficulties and the challenges they experienced they remained and made sure that the Faith was passed on. I think it is a wonderful thing, being beneficiaries of that – their pastoral care for us – we are here to help out in whatever way we can.”
Half a dozen appointments to ‘Co-Parish Priest’ were made in the clerical changes.
