THE Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Clogher says parishioners have been expressing their "sadness" in the wake of the Pastoral Letter he issued at the weekend, outlining the "serious and challenging situation" facing the Catholic Church.

In his Pastoral Letter Monsignor Joseph McGuinness has outlined that priests are becoming scarcer and older, and that this trend is likely to continue.

As a result, the dwindling numbers mean that Masses in the diocese will have to be reduced, neighbouring parishes will have to work together a lot more, not every parish will have a resident parish priest and there will be a move towards more dependency on lay people and other parishioners.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter this week, Monsignor Joseph McGuinness says the issues facing the Clogher Diocese are mirrored across Ireland.

"It is a challenge that all Dioceses are facing and having to reflect upon and each will have to meet that challenge individually," he said.

In his letter Monsignor McGuinness said he had hoped that any "significant changes could have been postponed".

But with the Diocese still awaiting the announcement of a new Bishop since Bishop Liam McDaid's departure due to illness in 2016, immediate action is needed.

Asked whether others should look to the strategy laid out by the Diocese of Clogher as an example to follow, Monsignor McGuinness said: "I can only speak for our own Diocese. Each Diocese has its own characteristics and geography and population spread, its own number of priests and lay helpers and so on. So each Diocese will have to address this in its own particular way."

The Diocesan Administrator acknowledged that the changes laid out in his letter had been met with "sadness" among parishioners.

"I understand very well that there is among a number of people a feeling of sadness. There a number of number of parishioners who have expressed sadness that priests are moving on. That is difficult for any parish community.

"There is a sadness too in relation to the fact that there will have to be a reduction in the number of masses.

"People have an understandable affection for the mass that they have always attended normally.

"It all demonstrates loyalty and an attachment that the people of the diocese have to the parish, their local church and to their priest and that is very uplifting."

He said the issue had been known for sometime, but was pushed "more sharply into focus" last year when the Diocese lost seven priests.

Today the 37 parishes and 85 churches in the diocese are served by just 58 priests in active ministry.

This represents a reduction of about a third in the number of active priests in the diocese in just 20 years.

"What I have done is simply address the situation facing us for some time," he said.

He reflected too on the fact that less and less men were considering the call to priesthood.

"Today's world often tries to tell us that the life of a priest is a lonely life," he said, "Let me assure you that the priest's life is not lonely. It is joy-filled.

"I think that we live in a very different society and culture now than even 30 to 40 years ago. This is a more secular, material and prosperous country.

"We live in a society where commitment of any kind is more challenging than ever before.

"But having said that it has been encouraging to see vocations to the priesthood in the last few years which have been men who have already pursued successful careers, then to find a different path in life that they wish to follow in the priesthood."

Monsignor McGuinness said a key element in the life of the church would now be the ministry of the lay people.

"Already we have seen the first Permanent Deacon ordained for the Diocese. I encourage men in our Diocese who feel called to this ministry to make contact with their local priest.

"What is needed is the vision and generosity of spirit which encompasses the bigger picture and embraces a collaborative and outgoing sense of Christian mission," he added.