On Tuesday, April 15th, in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, Archbishop Francis Duffy celebrated the Mass of Chrism for the people, religious and priests of Killala Diocese.
After the priests renewed their priestly promises, Archbishop Francis Duffy commissioned over 60 Lay Leaders for service in the parishes of the Diocese of Killala. The Lay Leaders will work in harmony with their priests to provide a team ministry approach in parishes in various pastoral areas as Ministers of the Word, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and as Funeral Ministers.
As Funeral Ministers, our Lay Leaders will co-lead the Prayers in the Family Home, Wake House and Funeral Home, the Rite of Reception in the church, the Prayers of Final Commendation at the end of the Funeral Mass and the Rite of Committal at the Graveside or Crematorium. Ministering alongside their priests, they will live out their baptismal call in placing their many gifts at the service of their parishioners.
In his homily, Archbishop Francis Duffy said:
“In this jubilee year of hope, there is certainly hope in this diocese. One of those green shoots of hope, or maybe 64 green shoots, are the 64 recent graduates in Lay Leadership at the Newman Institute, Ballina, who will be commissioned at this Chrism Mass to work in our parishes. Your commitment, your generosity and your enthusiasm are exemplary. Leadership does not depend just on a course, but on faith, on hope, and above all on a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is what makes the disciple; Jesus, he makes and moulds the disciple.
In this diocese, the work of lay leadership in parish will be shared by these chosen women and men, to work with and alongside the priest, the parish pastoral councils and others, for the mission of the local and universal Church. That mission is, and always will be, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. It can be nothing less. So, today in this Diocese of Killala, a carefully researched and long prepared initiative comes to fruition with the commissioning of lay leaders. As you listen to their undertaking, to their promises, you will see this is a very practical, increasingly necessary, and very much a baptismal calling of the faithful, to take responsibility, in particular circumstances, for the mission of the Church, for the mission of spreading that good news of Jesus.
The priest wears the alb, the long white baptismal garment, when he administers the sacraments. The stole and chasuble are signs that he is a priest, but the alb is a sign that he is, first of all, a Christian, he is baptised. The white robe that our lay leaders wear is a reminder of the baptismal garment. We all were baptised when we were tiny, tiny little Christians but also very, very important little Christians. Baptism was the start of a faith journey, sustained, encouraged, challenged by those whose own faith called them to support us.
In interpreting the signs of the times, the voice of the faithful and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Diocese of Killala said ‘yes’ we have to do something, ‘yes’ we have to listen and plan. The diocese did something in putting recruitment and training in place, then graduation and now commissioning. The next stage is implementation of these initiatives in the various parishes. I express gratitude to those who brought this key project to fruition, who facilitated this pastoral initiative with wide and deep learning, and all those who generously and enthusiastically embraced lay leadership. I mention just one, among the many, and that is Bishop John Fleming. I thank him for his initiatives, his foresight and his great wisdom in guiding this historic project.”
To read the full text of Archbishop Duffy’s homily, please click here.
Photo: Archbishop Francis Duffy and Bishop John Fleming in the entrance procession of the Mass of Chrism in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025. The priests of Killala Diocese processed into the Cathedral alongside over 60 Lay Leaders who were commissioned for ministry after the renewal of priestly promises. It was a moving and joyful Eucharistic celebration and one that will live long in the memory. We remember our lay leaders and the people, religious, bishops and priests of our diocese and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them always.