The future of the Passionist Monastery at the Graan is secure, although it may operate with a greater role allocated to the laity.

That was the opinion of those who attended a meeting on its future in the presence of independent consultant, Michael O'Hanlon. He has been tasked by the Provincial Team, which looks after the Order's five Houses in Ireland to review their work and present his report in June at a meeting of the Provincial Chapter.

Clerical changes will be announced then and, for Fr Brian D'Arcy, the Rector, June marks the end of his term. He will know then whether he is to be reappointed or moved on: "We are making plans for the future so that the spirit of the Graan is maintained. We are not talking about the closing of the Graan. What we are about is how we can keep going at the Graan with very few priests.

"Five or six years down the road, you may not even have the two people you need to keep it open but we will pass that bridge when it comes. But, we feel that everybody should be looking to the future and how we can manage with a less clericalised church".