The Association of Catholics in Ireland (ACI) carried out a pilot study among members in 36 parishes to explore the extent of lay leadership in the Catholic Church and the role that the laity plays in parish leadership.

Marie Collins tells We Are Church gathering, “If there is no consistent agreement across the Church as to what is sexual abuse of a minor, then how can we have any hope of consistent handling of the issue?”

Episcopal vacancies are an opportunity for the Church in Ireland to lay new foundations, says We Are Church Ireland.

“We have to face the fact that at the moment there are [fewer] priests than we were used to, and this has an effect on how parishes operate. Obviously, there is a whole richness within the laity that hasn’t been tapped into.”

There is “little sense of mission within the Catholic Church in Ireland” and no sense of what that mission should be, Bishop Dermot Farrell tells conference in Kilkenny.

“Unless there is a radical reappraisal of what a parish community should be, there can be no real progress.” —Bishop Denis Nulty

“In effect, a synodal Church seeks to invert the pyramid, to create a sense of all being on the road together” – Mgr Dermot Lane in his address to launch book by Jesuit theologian Fr Gerry O’Hanlon.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life tells Intercom "the Roman Curia is overloaded with clerics, and it shouldn’t be like that.”

Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore speaks to pilgrims in Knock about the outcome of the abortion referendum and pays tribute to “the army of people, young and old, who campaigned to retain the Eighth Amendment”.

"Bishop Christy discharged his ministry at a time of seismic and rapid change both in civil society and in the church family."

The declining numbers of available clergy and religious lend a sense of urgency to this development.

“We now have an educated laity, perceptive of social change, anxious to play a part in the mission of the Church. We are foolish to ignore them.”

Archbishop Eamon Martin worried that a return to borders, checkpoints and customs could “play into the hands of those who would exploit it”.

At the annual Chrism Mass, Dr Nulty said he was “acutely aware of the ... strains that exist ... where the age profile of the priesthood continues to rise, and where sometimes even to organise relief cover is next to impossible”.

Jesuit theologian Fr Gerry O’Hanlon argues that a synodal form of church at all levels is urgently needed to salvage the Catholic faith in Ireland.

New Vatican department which Bishop Kevin Farrell leads will join together the competencies of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family.

New approach will see priests work across different parishes and while there won’t necessarily be a priest living in every parish, there will be a parish priest for every parish.

Over the coming year the diocese will see Sean Jones ordained a priest - exactly ten years since the last priestly ordination in Kerry.

Appointee to support work of parishes and offer vision and leadership to enable priests and people make needed changes to allow parishes continue to be vibrant faith communities.

Limerick diocesan visit to Paris looked at how parishes there have dealt with the vocations decline and changing arrangements in the past decades.

Irish missionary, Fr Eddie Murphy, believes the papal visit will highlight the extent to which the Church in Africa is dynamic and still growing.

Pontiff to celebrate outdoor Mass for over a million pilgrims at World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

Cursillo was introduced into Derry Diocese in 1985 and to date over 5,000 people have experienced a Cursillo weekend.

Pope Francis' "support is indispensable" to the Secretariat for the Economy Australian Prefect states.

The bishops are to set up a special review group to examine how best the Church can continue to support marriage and family life in Ireland.

“There is no group that is more influential in the process than priests. They are even more influential than bishops."

Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry to facilitate public gatherings in 17 pastoral areas where responses will be sought to the questions posed in Lineamenta.

“In a more equal Church there would be lay people involved in determining the guest list as well as on it,” married couple tell ACI conference.

"We must discover ways and structures to do so," Bishop Brendan Leahy suggests.

WACI challenges Synod to include lay participants such as Mary McAleese and Gina Menzies.