Priest shortages to hit funeral masses

A FERMANAGH cleric says that the falling number of priests will soon have a drastic impact on  funeral masses for Catholic families here.

Originally from Newtownbutler, Fr Gary Donegan was responding to a pastoral letter issued on Sunday by Bishop Donal McKeown warning that dwindling numbers of young people joining the priesthood in the Down and Connor Diocese means it will grow increasingly difficult to meet demand in the coming years.

With around 3,000 funerals and 800 marriages celebrated in the diocese each year, Bishop McKeown said meeting these “unsustainable expectations” was no longer possible.

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