Statement of the Autumn 2020 General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference   In accordance with the public health restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference gathered this week for their Autumn 2020 General Meeting via video-link, instead of the usual location at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth.  This was the...

  Job Vacancy – Data Protection Officer:    The Dioceses of Tuam, Galway, Elphin, Killala, Achonry, Clonfert, Kilmore and Ardagh & Clonmacnois wish to recruit a Data Protection Officer. The purpose of this role is to assist the eight participating Dioceses and their constituent parishes and agencies in achieving compliance with the requirements of the...

Bishop Martin Hayes’ Homily at Fr. Thomas Small’s Ordination in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, on Sunday 27 September 2020:  God calls; there is ‘a still small voice’ that calls each one of us – a calling that is there before we are born.  God calls each one of us…”Before, I...

The New Bishop with his family outside the Cathedral of SS. Patrick & Felim after his ordination   Introduction The Episcopal Ordination Mass for the new Bishop of Kilmore, Most Reverend Martin Hayes took place at 3:00p.m. on Sunday 20 September 2020 in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick & Saint Felim, Cavan.  The Primate of...

A Video Message from our New Bishop:    In advance of his ordination as Bishop of Kilmore next Sunday, Fr. Martin Hayes has posted a video message which can be viewed at the following link: https://youtu.be/s88IXHmwO68

The Mass booklet for next Sunday’s Episcopal Ordination may be accessed from the link given below: Ordination to the Episcopate of Fr Martin Hayes  

The Symbols of Bishop Hayes’ Ministry:  During the ordination ceremony, Bishop Hayes will receive a ring, a mitre and a crozier as symbols of the authority and office vested in him as Bishop of Kilmore before being seated in the ‘cathedra’, which is his formal seat in the Cathedral   THE RING The ring represents...

Early life, education and career Bishop-elect Martin Hayes was born in Borris (Newhill), Two-Mile-Borris, Thurles, Co Tipperary on 24 October 1959.  His late parents were Daniel and Mary Agnes (née Bowe), and Martin is the eldest of five sons and three daughters, one of whom died in infancy. Martin received his primary school education in...

Episcopal Crest & Motto of our New Bishop:  Following a custom dating from the mid-twelfth century, most bishops adopt a crest or coat-of-arms. The bishop chooses elements that hold personal meaning for him in relation to his ministry, and these are combined in a display on a shield. Heraldic tradition places a stylised hat called...

Bishop-Elect Hayes’ Apostolic Mandate: After the Gospel is read on Sunday, Father Martin Hayes will be called forward and Archbishop Eamonn Martin – as the principal consecrator – will be formally asked to ordain him as Bishop for service in the Diocese of Kilmore. Archbishop Martin will ask “Have you a mandate from the Apostolic...