Community appeal launched for new sacristy team as parish seeks volunteers

A community appeal has been launched in the Emly parish for volunteers to form a new sacristy team, as church leaders look to put a sustainable system in place to support weekend Masses.

The call follows the retirement of long-serving sacristan Jimmy White, who stepped back from the role when Covid-19 struck. Since then, the duties have been carried out on a voluntary basis by Fr Bernie Moloney, but parish representatives say the time has now come to share the workload among a wider group.

Parishioners are being asked to consider joining a team of six volunteers, which would see each person on duty for just one month in every six. Organisers say this approach would ensure the role is manageable and flexible, with cover available if a volunteer is unavailable on a particular weekend.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Huge crowds gather in Nenagh for top class Christmas Tractors display

The role involves arriving at the church around 30 minutes before Sunday Mass and remaining for approximately 10 minutes afterwards. A detailed checklist of duties will be provided in the sacristy to guide volunteers through the various tasks involved.

A spokesperson for the parish said the appeal is about safeguarding the smooth running of church services while ensuring no single person is overburdened.

“The bigger the team, the easier the task for everyone involved. This is how other parish teams already operate, and it works very well,” the spokesperson said.

The parish has emphasised that men and women are equally welcome to volunteer and that no prior experience is required, as support and guidance will be provided.

Those willing to get involved are encouraged to give their name to any of the priests or a member of the Pastoral Team during the coming week.

The appeal comes at a time when many rural parishes across Tipperary are facing similar challenges in sustaining volunteer roles, particularly as long-serving community members step back after decades of service.