Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell is planning a âradical renewalâ of the archdiocese that will involve greater input from lay people in the churchâs response to the needs of the community following the Covid-19 crisis.
In a homily on Holy Thursday, Archbishop Dermot Farrell announced he had established a task force to devise a strategy for a âchurch for the Dublin of tomorrowâ.
The church community in Dublin faces âchallenges which require immediate action, not least to prepare a recovery from the severe impact of the pandemicâ, he said.
The task force, under the title âBuilding Hopeâ, will assess the needs of the people of the Archdiocese of Dublin, which comprises 197 parishes served by 350 active priests. Based on this analysis, the unit, composed of clergy, religious and laypeople, will prepare a âpastoral strategyâ that supports faith communities to undertake a âradical renewalâ that looks to the future with creativity and hope, Archbishop Farrell went on. The task force should stimulate reflection and creative thinking across the whole community to guide a conversation into the future, he said.