Tuam Archdiocese relies on US invasion to reverse fall in clergy numbers

It is like an American invasion in the West of Ireland as a second priest from the States will be ordained in Galway over the coming years.

And the clergy have expressed satisfaction with the interest being expressed by young people in exploring a career and life in the priesthood.

His surname might sound like a famous golfer, but Tyler Haas has become the latest seminarian from the Archdiocese of Tuam to study in Maynooth for the priesthood.

Last year Fr. Shane Sullivan from Minnesota was ordained in Tuam Cathedral and is now attached to the Tuam parish.

Tyler is a native of Wisconsin and for years he had expressed an interest in joining the priesthood and becoming a seminarian for Tuam.

Vocations Director with the Tuam Archdiocese, Fr. Fintan Monahan, said that he was encouraged by the increasing level of interest in the priesthood in recent years.

Fr. Fintan was particularly proud of the fact that two priests were ordained in the Archdiocese last year with Fr. Eugene O’Boyle from Claremorris being ordained alongside Fr. Shane Sullivan.

Tuam Cathedral was packed to capacity as Fr. Shane, whose father is a native of Cill Chiaráin in South Connemara, and Fr. Eugene were ordained in front of a large crowd of family and friends.

The congregation also included many interested local parishioners, many of whom had never witnessed an ordination before. The last ordination for the Archdiocese of Tuam was in 2006 when Fr Patrick Burke, a native of Killererin, was ordained.

And it was something of a special moment for Fr. Shane when he celebrated his first Mass in Cill Chiaráin through Irish from start to finish.

The last priest in the Diocese of Galway to be ordained was Fr. Patrick O’Sullivan back in 2011 and currently there are two seminarians currently studying for the priesthood from the area.

But it was announced earlier in the week that there are now 20 new seminarians set to join St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth including 20 year old Tyler Haas.

He has some Irish blood on his father’s side of the family.  For many years he had an interest in the Irish church and approached the diocese in spring this year and expressed an interest in becoming a seminarian for Tuam. 

Having gone through the usual process of application and assessment he was formally accepted in early summer. He started his course of training this week in Maynooth with a spiritual month and hopes to enrol for a BA degree before doing a degree in theology. 

He came over from the US in early August and had a chance to work-shadow some of the parish clergy in Tuam, Castlebar and Westport as well as attending many of the sessions of the annual Novena at Knock.  His base will be in the presbytery in Tuam. 

“We are delighted with the increasing level of interest in the priesthood in recent years. Three other young men have expressed a serious interest in joining us and are in the process of discernment at present.  “We are very fortunate to have had two young priests ordained last year and very much look forward to the ordination of Rev. Sean Flynn of Castlebar next summer”, Fr. Fintan Monahan added