Parish priest sees the Church 'dying' and praises Minister Madigan for 'taking leadership'

"I see [the] Church dying...I mean all we have to do is look at the statistics - most men, and it's an exclusively male order, are now in their 70s."

The Parish Priest of Portlaoise has praised the Culture Minister 'for taking leadership' after she stepped in at her local Church when a priest didn't arrive at the weekend.

Josepha Madigan said she had to step in when a priest didn't show up for mass in Mount Merrion in Dublin.