A local Bishop has warned that Catholic Church stands at a "threshold" moment in how it interacts with communities and parishes.
Athlone native Michael Duignan was installed as the new Bishop of Galway on Sunday at a special mass in the city's Cathedral.
He is now head of two dioceses as he is in reinstating his role as the Bishop of Clonfert which includes parishes in county Roscommon.
Speaking during the homily at his installation mass, the Roscommon man claimed a new direction may be required for the church.
''The more and more I see, the more and more I am convinced that much of our infrastructure, our systems, our pastoral practices that were beneficial in the past, now hinder rather than help the life of faith. Here too, we stand at a threshold moment.''
