While recognising that our faith may have been dealt a severe blow by what we have heard about child abuse at the hands of some priests, we also know that our diocese and our parish have had the opportunity to come to terms with what has taken place through the meetings in the diocese and in our parish.  It was pointed out that there are Rules for Safeguarding Children in every part of the parish and the diocese is 100% compliant with these policies.

 We recalled that the ministry of priests comes from their answer to God’s call: to service, to a life of holiness, to the service of others, to a life of celibacy and to  obedience. 

 We all need the prayerful support of others in our lives and priests are no exception.  Since we all make up the parish of Tullow, Grange and Ardattin, we must try, together, to make this parish the best we possibly can.  It is a case of all together, priests and people, moving forward to help one another in whatever way we can.  We, as parishioners, are called to be involved, so that together we can face the future with confidence.  We are challenged by the washing of the disciples’ feet to place ourselves at the service of others and for most of us, our daily living means going to work, bringing the children to school, calling in to say hello to our neighbour, checking on a friend and many other such calls on our time.

 By being faithful to our call, we serve as Christ did.  This is the church that, together, we need to build – a church that calls us to witness to Christ in our local communities. We need to work together, priests and laity alike, women and men alike, at the decision-making and planning of the church in order to build one that is open, loving and safe.  We must each struggle to repair and heal the relationships that bind us together as sisters and brothers in Christ.

 We are grateful to our priests for drawing us together in worship, visiting our homes, comforting us in sickness, blessing our marriages, baptising our children supporting us in bereavement, helping us grow in faith. God trusts us with making him known, by our words and actions.  We can learn to trust one another, and believe that God blesses us with many beautiful gifts. We are blessed in our parish to have priests of the calibre of Monsignor Brendan Byrne and Fr Andy Leahy who are so dedicated in their ministry to all of us.

Forwards Steps are looking for enthusiastic people to volunteer with their Homework and Activity Club in September. Phone Forward Steps on 059 91 52 776.

As you will be aware Pope Benedict XVI accepted Bishop Moriarty’s resignation as bishop of our diocese on 22nd April 2010. Bishop Moriaty served us as bishop for the past eight years in a kind, humble and exemplary manner.

During his term he ministered untiringly, visited all our parishes on numerous occasions and introduced many pastoral initiatives such as Reach Out, African and Polish Chaplaincies and Faith Development Services. His work and commitment to young people was demonstrated in the interest he showed in publishing the ‘Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedures’ manual, in his participation in World Youth Days, his support for the Meitheal Programme and more recently when he introduced John Paul II Awards.

As he leaves us we offer him our sincerest thanks for a ministry truly modelled on the example and teaching of Jesus and for a legacy that will long be honoured and remembered. We wish him many years of health and happiness as he continues his ministry and assure him that there will always be an open door and a warm welcome for him in Kildare and Leighlin. Go mbeannaí Dia é i gcónaí.

Ou own Monsignor Brendan Byrne, Parish Priest of Tullow, has been elected diocesan administrator and will run the day-to-day affairs of the diocese while a new bishop is awaited.

Bishop Moriarty’s personal statement following the acceptance of his resignation by Pope Benedict is available below.

Statement from Bishop Jim Moriarty on the Holy Father’s acceptance of his resignation as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has today formally accepted my resignation as Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, which I offered on 23rd December, in the wake of the Murphy Report. 

The decision to offer my resignation was the most difficult decision of my ministry. I did not anticipate resigning when I first read the Murphy Report, because I was not directly criticised.  However, the Murphy Report covers far more than what individual Bishops did or did not do. Renewal must begin with accepting responsibility for the past. I served as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Dublin from 1991 until my appointment to this diocese in 2002. I was part of the governance of the Archdiocese prior to when correct child protection policies and procedures were implemented. Again I accept that from the time I became an Auxiliary Bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture.  Once more I apologise to all survivors and their families.

I know that words of apology are not enough. Before speaking on other matters, it is important to be able to report that, learning from the past, the Irish Church now has excellent child safeguarding procedures in place. Kildare & Leighlin Diocese has fully subscribed to the definitive ‘Standards and Guidance’ document published by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in 2008. This is exemplified in the policy document we subsequently produced ourselves, in our training programmes undergone by priests and lay people, many of the latter having volunteered to act as ‘designated person’ in their parish, our use of Garda vetting and our co-operation with civil and Church audits. We remain keenly aware of the need for constant vigilance and updating to ensure that the Church is the safest possible place for children.

When I announced before Christmas that I was offering my resignation to the Holy Father, I explained what I hoped it might achieve – “I hope it honours the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned”.

The truth is that the long struggle of survivors to be heard and respected by church authorities has revealed a culture within the Church that many would simply describe as unchristian.  People do not recognise the gentle, endless love of the Lord in narrow interpretations of responsibility and a basic lack of compassion and humility.  This has been profoundly dispiriting for all who care about the Church.  As I stated in my contribution at the recent gathering of Irish Bishops with the Holy Father – “Let us be clear, our failures have damaged our people’s faith and the strength of our witness”.

The truth is also that the Church is ‘at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, always follows the way of penance and renewal’ (Lumen Gentium).  I believe the spiritual well-being of the People of God demands that this principle of the Church as always in need of reform, which was embraced at the Second Vatican Council, should again come to the forefront of Church life.  I believe, as I said at the recent Vatican gathering “that the goal should be a new fellowship (cf. Acts 4:42-47); a deeper sharing of the mission that transcends the kind of clerical culture that led us here.”

In his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, as well as stressing the need for justice for survivors, Pope Benedict called for ‘a new vision… to inspire present and future generations’. Baroness Nuala O’Loan, who addressed two subsequent open forums in our diocese, surely spoke for many when she said such a vision “must involve an open, transparent, accountable Church… valuing each person as made in the image of God”. I believe that there is a tremendous wellspring of support for her conviction that “walking away from our Church is not an option’ and that, although ‘working to reform it is going to involve a long and hard road… it is one which we must and can walk”.

As I recounted at the Chrism Mass in Holy Week, this fidelity and commitment is being lived out in a real and active way by members of the Church every day. I think of all the inspiring deeds of so many in our diocese – in pre-sacramental programmes, on school boards, in youth ministry, in our work with Trócaire, as part of our annual diocesan ‘Reach Out’ initiatives, in our Polish and African chaplaincies, in liturgy groups, in church choirs, in care for the aged, in bereavement groups, and in all the countless other acts of Christian kindness carried out unseen.

As I leave office today, this will be my abiding memory of my time as Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin – the witness of faith, hope and love in which we have been able to share in so many ways as the People of God, laity, religious and clergy, in this diocese. I offer my heartfelt thanks to one and all. It has been a privilege to serve among you these past eight years and to be part of all this.

I have every confidence that the diocese will continue on this path and rise to the challenges that lie ahead. In this season of Easter we are inspired by the account of the early Church’s proclamation of the Good News of the Risen Lord in the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit who strengthened and unified those first believers is still at work in our day. I would like to end as I began eight years ago at the time of my installation with this prayer for the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin: 

Lord, bless the faith community which traces its origins to Brigid, Conleth and Laserian.

May it be outstanding in charity as St. Brigid was,
may it be constant in faith as St. Conleth of Old Connell,
wise and prayerful as St. Laserian of Leighlin.

Bless its Bishop, priests, religious and laity;
fill them with the light of your love.

Bless its young people; help them to seek your truth.

Bless all who are poor or weak or wounded by life’s hurts;
grant them justice, light and hope.

Sin é ár nguí tré Críost ár dTiarna, Amen

We wish also to express sincere thanks to the members of the Polish community here for their generous gift of a beautiful set of vestments to the Parish Church for Easter.