‘One Saturday, we had a funeral, a wedding, a first communion and then mass. It was too much’: Ireland’s priests are feeling the pressureAs the number of priests dwindles and their workload soars, Ireland’s ageing clergy have a heavy cross to bear. Two priests open up about their day-to-day lives and the mental health struggles faced by clerics as they head into a busy Easter scheduleBearing the CrossSarah Mac Donald Today at 06:30‘When my mother died, I had to ring around to try and find a priest to cover for me. I know priests who went back to work the weekend after the death of their mother or father because there was no one to cover for them,” Fr Tim Hazelwood says.

Source: Irish Independent April 04, 2026 07:33 UTC