Paul Dempsey (bishop)

The Most Reverend

Paul Dempsey

MTh
Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin
Titular Bishop of Sita
ChurchRoman Catholic
ArchdioceseDublin
SeeSita
Appointed10 April 2024
PredecessorRaymond Field and Éamonn Walsh (Dublin)
Udo Bentz (Sita)
Previous post(s)Bishop of Achonry
Parish priest of Newbridge
Vicar forane of the North deanery
Diocesan youth director and director of vocations for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin
Orders
Ordination6 July 1997
by Laurence Ryan
Consecration30 August 2020
by Michael Neary
Personal details
Born (1971-04-20) 20 April 1971 (age 53)
Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland
ParentsTony and Berry Dempsey
Alma materMilltown Institute
St. Patrick's, Carlow College
All Hallows College
MottoDuc in altum
(Put out into the deep)
Coat of armsPaul Dempsey's coat of arms
Styles of
Paul Dempsey
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleYour Grace
Religious styleBishop

Paul Dempsey (born 20 April 1971) is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as auxiliary bishop of Dublin and titular bishop of Sita since 2024.

Early life and education

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Dempsey was born in Carlow on 20 April 1971, the youngest of four children to Tony and Berry Dempsey. He moved with his family to Athy, County Kildare, in 1978, where he attended the local Christian Brothers primary school and secondary school at the local Christian Brothers secondary school, Scoil Eoin.[1][2]

Dempsey studied for the priesthood in Milltown Institute, St Patrick's, Carlow College and All Hallows College.[3]

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin on 6 July 1997.[4]

Presbyteral ministry

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Following ordination, Dempsey's first pastoral appointment was as a curate in Clane and Rathcoffey. Seven years later, he was appointed curate in Kildare, and simultaneously as diocesan youth director and director of vocations. During his time as diocesan youth director, Dempsey organised two World Youth Day pilgrimages in 2005 and 2008. It was during his curacy in Kildare that he also started writing a weekly article in the Leinster Leader and presenting Religion Matters, a religious and social affairs program on Kfm.

Dempsey returned to the Milltown Institute for further studies, completing a master's degree in theology in 2008.[5] His thesis examined whether the Catholic Church in contemporary Ireland was a church in crisis or one in question.[6]

Dempsey was appointed to the parish cluster of Naas, Sallins and Two Mile House in 2009, before moving to Newbridge in August 2014, when he was also appointed vicar forane for the North deanery. The following year, Dempsey was appointed parish priest in Newbridge and simultaneously administrator in Caragh and Prosperous.[7]

In a December 2010 article for The Furrow on being a priest in modern Ireland, Dempsey wrote that “the Church community needs to enter into a period of deep reflection”, adding that it would be “refreshing to see some leadership around this ‘reflection’ culminating in some form of national Church gathering", and noting his awareness of major issues in the church, such as the role of women and the appointment of bishops.[8]

Episcopal ministry

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Bishop of Achonry

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Dempsey was appointed Bishop-elect of Achonry by Pope Francis on 27 January 2020,[1][9][10] the first Carlow-born bishop to be appointed since Michael Comerford as coadjutor bishop of Kildare and Leighlin in 1888.[11]

His episcopal ordination was initially scheduled to take place on 19 April, but was rescheduled on 17 June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][13][14] Dempsey was eventually consecrated by the Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, on 30 August in the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Nathy, Ballaghaderreen.[15][16][17]

In response to a document published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in March 2021, Dempsey released a statement on 26 March 2021 in which he referred to language in the document banning blessings for same-sex couples as "hurtful".[18][19]

In his Lenten pastoral letter in 2023, he expressed his concerns about falling vocations to the priesthood, revealing that there hadn't been an ordination in the diocese since 2013, and no more than twelve priests would be serving in the Diocese of Achonry in ten years' time.[20]

Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin

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In response to a wider reorganisation of diocesan church leadership in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam, Dempsey was appointed auxiliary bishop of Dublin and titular bishop of Sita by Pope Francis on 10 April 2024. The Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, was subsequently appointed as apostolic administrator sede vacante of the Diocese of Achonry.[21][22][23][24][25][26]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Pope Francis appoints Father Paul Dempsey as the new Bishop of Achonry". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ^ Ivers, Donna (28 January 2020). "Past Pupil Appointed as Bishop of Achonry". Ardscoil na Tríonóide. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  3. ^ Pender, Suzanne (31 January 2020). "Fr Paul Dempsey is Carlow's first bishop in more than 130 years". Carlow Nationalist. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  4. ^ McCaughley, Ciara (30 August 2020). "Episcopal Ordination of new Bishop of Achonry in Ballaghaderreen this afternoon". Roscommon Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Fr Paul Dempsey to be new Bishop of Achonry". The Irish Catholic. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  6. ^ MacDonald, Sarah (27 January 2020). "Pope Francis appoints Fr Paul Dempsey as the new Bishop of Achonry". CatholicIreland.net. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. ^ Hogan, Senan (6 February 2020). "INTERVIEW: Kildare's Fr Paul Dempsey, the new Bishop of Achonry, on his new job, celibacy and women in the church". Leinster Leader. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  8. ^ Dempsey, Paul (December 2010). "Being a Priest in Ireland Today — a young priest's view". The Furrow. 61 (12): 667–676. JSTOR 29765041 – via JSTOR.
  9. ^ McGarry, Patsy (27 January 2020). "Kildare priest appointed new Catholic bishop in west of Ireland". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  10. ^ "New bishop appointed to Diocese of Achonry". Connaught Telegraph. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  11. ^ Pender, Suzanne (31 January 2020). "Fr Paul Dempsey is Carlow's first bishop in more than 130 years". Carlow Nationalist. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Rescheduled date announced for the Episcopal Ordination of Father Paul Dempsey, Bishop-elect of Achonry". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Virus outbreak delays ordination of Bishop". The Sligo Champion. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  14. ^ Duggan, Marian (17 June 2020). "New date for bishop's ordination". Western People. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Fr Paul Dempsey to be ordained as bishop this afternoon". Kildare Nationalist. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Media information for the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop-elect Paul Dempsey". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  17. ^ Hearns, Orla (30 August 2020). "New bishop ordained at unique socially-distanced ceremony in Ballaghaderreen". Western People. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  18. ^ McGarry, Patsy (26 March 2021). "Vatican language on gay blessings 'hurtful', says Ireland's youngest Catholic bishop". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  19. ^ Dodd, Liz; MacDonald, Sarah. "Priests take aim at 'outdated' CDF on LGBT+ people". The Tablet. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  20. ^ Deering, Paul (24 February 2023). "Bishop of Achonry says crisis in vocations very real with no ordination in his diocese in ten years". The Sligo Champion. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Nomina di Vescovo Ausiliare di Dublin (Irlanda)" [Appointment of Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin (Ireland)]. Holy See Press Office (in Italian). 10 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  22. ^ Mac Donald, Sarah (10 April 2024). "Pope Francis announces biggest restructuring of the Catholic church in Ireland in 900 years". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  23. ^ Brady, Chai (10 April 2024). "Pope announces seismic changes for dioceses in the West not seen for 1,000 years". The Irish Catholic. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Appointment of Bishop Paul Dempsey as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin – Statement of Archbishop Farrell". Archdiocese of Dublin. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  25. ^ Deering, Paul (10 April 2024). "Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran to assume additional role in Achonry diocese". The Sligo Champion. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  26. ^ Coppen, Luke (10 April 2024). "How Pope Francis is reshaping the Church in western Ireland". The Pillar. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
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