Bishop Deenihan, Bishop of Meath has issued a wide-ranging pastoral letter, Future of our Parishes: Communities of Belonging and Evangelisation, calling for renewed vitality and cooperation among parishes as they face demographic change, fewer priests, and the need for deeper evangelisation.

In his letter, Bishop Deenihan pointed to the establishment of Parish Pastoral Councils across all parishes as a vital support to the Church’s mission. “The only focus of these parish councils is the work of evangelisation and supporting the pastoral mission of the Church in their own parish,” he said.

He encourages parishes to collaborate on faith development initiatives, choirs, and training for liturgical ministers, saying that “no parish can survive in isolation.” He also urges local discussion about Mass schedules and the availability of priests, noting the universal norms limiting how many Masses a priest may celebrate each weekend.

Parishioners are encouraged to read and reflect on the pastoral letter and support the continued work of Parish Pastoral Councils across the Diocese.

The Pastoral Letter can be read in full here