The Catholic Bishop of Limerick has warned churchgoers that he can no longer guarantee that Sunday mass services will take place in all the churches in the diocese.
Bishop Brendan Leahy wrote in a letter that the number of priests is in rapid decline. As a result, lay people would have to fill the void by leading a range of church services, including funeral prayers and sacrament preparations for children.
“We will need lay people to lead prayers at funerals, at gravesides, to visit schools on behalf of the parish, to be involved in pastoral councils and baptismal teams, to help with the practical administration of parishes,” the bishop said.
