The Bishop of the Derry diocese of the Catholic Church says that the organisation needs to look at ways of restructuring itself as members of the clergy are being “worked to exhaustion”.

Bishop Donal McKeown, who has handed in his resignation after turning 75 but remains in post while his successor is selected, spoke to The Irish News after the suspension of Sunday Mass services in two rural Co Tyrone churches earlier this month due to a lack of priests.

First published in The Irish News 2 Feb 2026 by Conor Coyle

St Mary’s Church in Knockmoyle and Corpus Christi in Mountfield, both near Omagh, will no longer host fortnightly Sunday Mass, but will remain available for the local community for individual prayer, funerals, weddings and anniversary events. Cappagh Parish, where the fortnightly services were suspended, said the decision would be “disappointing and painful” for many, but reflected the “pastoral realities” faced by clergy.

Thirteen new seminarians entered Irish dioceses during the 2025/26 academic term, bringing the total number to 77 men training for the priesthood in the country.

Parishes have had to combine across dioceses in Ireland in recent years due to falling numbers of priests, while Clogher Diocese received its first seminarian in six years last year.

When asked whether he regularly hears reports from priests of being overworked, Bishop McKeown said that was very much the case, while many are working “to exhaustion”.

Last bells ring for Sunday Mass at Co Tyrone churches as parish admits ‘pastoral realities’Opens in new window

“I most certainly do, my job is to try and see what we can do at the centre of the diocese to ensure that we can work together to do the best we can in the circumstances without burning ourselves out,” the Bishop said.

“There’s no use in priests tiring themselves out with unnecessary burdens.

“We have to learn from the experience of other areas where churches did not have a lot of clergy, how can we restructure and use what resources we do have without people working themselves absolutely to the bone.

“I know many of our priests work themselves to exhaustion trying to satisfy everyone’s needs, turning up for all the funerals, turning up for all the weddings, events at school, communions, confirmation as well as doing the regular masses.

“I want to praise priests who in so many circumstances are working against the odds and trying to do their best and to remain cheerful.

“My job is to support them and coordinate, do my best in a leadership role so that we keep that momentum going and help our young people to believe that there is hope in the future rather than despair.”

The Bishop added that those from the Catholic faith needed to move away from the idea of the church being a “service delivery” body and move towards what it can deliver as a “community organisation”.

“There’s an opportunity for renewal of the church, not as a service delivering body, but as a community organisation providing help to one another, particularly to those in distress.

“I see this really not as a bad time, but as a time when God is remaking the church to serve a different purpose.

“There’s a limit on what can be done by a small number of priests and the ministries that they have. It’s a call to lay people to see how they can serve the parish and the community, rather than the idea of a service organisation run by clergy meeting the needs of people.

“Those needs are increasing as far as I can see. I think we all know the fragmentation that’s going on in our society. We all know the levels of distress, the levels of mental illness, suicide, poverty. There’s a huge need out there for good news and for healing.”

Bishop McKeown also revealed that church leaders have been contacted by local health trusts in order to explore how the church can be used on the ground to support the struggling health service.

“The health service has been in contact with a number of us in terms of drawing up a policy to say how can our parishes be used to deliver belonging, healing, hope.

“There are examples now of young people rediscovering ancient spiritual values like meditation, rituals of gathering together, common celebrations. All of those things are hopeful for healing for our younger generation, who are being assailed by online materials and exposure to denigrating material at a very early age.

“That’s what I mean when saying there’s a huge need for seeing how the church can respond to the distress being experienced by our young people.

“We are trying to see how we can be useful on the ground in a faith context, because it’s about belonging and utilising that social capital in a fragmented society.”

The search for his successor as Bishop of Derry is continuing, and Bishop McKeown says he will continue to do his best after decades of service to the church.

“I’ll do whatever I’m asked to do. I’ve always done that throughout my years as a priest and as a bishop.

“I’m happy to do my best in the circumstances, realising I can’t do any short or medium term initiatives as changes like that really need to come from my successor.

“It is a period of uncertainty but I’m happy to do my best in the circumstances.”