Public meetings are set to take place in Strokestown, Athlone and Castlerea from next week to discuss the amalgamation of two local dioceses. Three meetings will also be held in Sligo and Mayo. It was announced in April the dioceses of Elphin and Achonry would merge, in a major reorganisation of the Catholic Church in the west of Ireland. Achonry no longer has a bishop, with Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran now serving as Apostolic Administrator of Achonry also. He heads both dioceses, and, in time, one bishop will govern both dioceses.
Bishop Doran recently wrote to all parishes in Achonry and Elphin to outline his plans to have several meetings in September and October, involving priests and people from the two dioceses, to discuss their future. They will be open to all to attend. The first meeting will be held in the Percy French Hotel in Strokestown next Monday, September 16th, at 7pm. Another one will be held at the same time the following night in the Sligo Park Hotel, and the following night in the Park Hotel in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo.
On September 25th, a meeting will be held in the Athlone Springs Hotel at 7pm, and the same time on September 30th in An Chroi Digital Hub in Tubbercurry, Co Sligo. The final meeting will be held on October 5th in Tully’s Hotel, Castlerea, at 11am.
