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Huge disappointment as bishop fails to show

There was widespread disappointment in the parish of Kilcummin on Tuesday night when Bishop Ray Browne failed to turn up for a public meeting.

Local parishioners are reeling from the news that they will no longer have a parish priest following a shakeup in the diocese that will come in to effect on July 17.

Ahead of the meeting locals sent the bishop and his secretary a list of 19 questions they wanted answered at the meeting.

“There was huge disappointment that Bishop Ray Browne did not attend,” said local councillor Marie Moloney. “There was an understanding he would be there. Locals did not get any reply to any of the points raised in the letter.”

Bishop Browne was represented at the meeting by Fr Godley and Fr O’Brien.

A large percentage of locals have been withholding donations at the weekly church collection following the announcement that they were to lose their parish priest.

“Locals want the bishop to facilitate a meeting with the people of Kilcummin,” added Cllr. Moloney. “They will continue with the collection protest until for the foreseeable future.”

Current parish priest Fr. Mulvihill has been transferred to Castlegregory in the diocese shakeup.