The diocese of Killaloe, one of the largest Catholic dioceses in Ireland, has announced a year-long initiative to encourage men to consider joining the priesthood.
It is part of a national effort by the Catholic Church in Ireland to increase vocations to the diocesan priesthood this year.
The Killaloe diocese has begun a promotional campaign across counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly and Laois.
Visits to parishes across the diocese, including Ennis, Nenagh, Birr and Castleconnell, will begin next week.
With just over half of the 58 parishes in the diocese currently served by a resident priest, the aim is to build upon the three vocations recorded in the diocese during the past 12 months, according to Vocations Director Fr Iggy McCormack.
"Geographically, we are the third largest diocese in the country and is it has become increasingly difficult to maintain full cover across the five counties due to retirements and a lower number of vocations," he said.
"The idea of young men taking up a vocation has arguably become more countercultural in recent years, but we are very hopeful that we can build on recent progress whereby three men from the diocese will enter the seminary at Maynooth over the next 12 months."
Fr McCormack, who also is principal of St Flannan's College in Ennis, has said that the vocations initiative will encourage people to discover more about vocations on the diocesan website.
He said the parish church visits are aimed at "kickstarting conversations" within family groups, with local priests and in communities across the diocese on the vocation of priesthood.
Ennis native Mark Nestor, who is a former secondary school teacher and Clare county councillor, entered the National Seminary at St Patrick's College Maynooth last week having spent the past year at the Royal English College of St Alban in Valladolid, Spain.
"Answering yes to my vocation to the priesthood has resulted in a great sense of contentment in my life," he said.
"The support I have received from family, friends and the diocese over the last two years has been phenomenal. I would encourage anyone who feels they have a vocation to priesthood to reach out and talk about their vocation."
Fr McCormack is encouraging any man who has been considering a vocation to contact the vocations office or to speak with their local priest.
"Most newly ordained priests will comment on how the encouragement and counsel they received from their local priest greatly assisted in commencing their journey to priestly ministry," he said.
