Pope Francis has appointed as the new Bishop of Galloway Fr William Nolan, the current Vicar-General of the Diocese of Motherwell.
Fr Nolan, who has been parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes in East Kilbride for 20 years, succeeds Bishop John Cunningham, who has served the diocese since 2004.
Bishop-Elect Nolan described himself as “overawed” to be appointed by Pope Francis and said he looked forward to helping “the faith flourish in the land where [St] Ninian planted the seeds of faith so long ago. Hindered “by my failings and weaknesses”, he asked for people to pray for him.
Meanwhile Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA to lead the mid-western Irish archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.
Bishop O’Reilly, who has led the diocese of Killaloe in 2010, succeeds Archbishop Dermot Clifford, 75.
Armagh Archbishop Eamon Martin welcomed the appointment. “Like the people of Killaloe, I have come to know the warmth of his personality and his gentleness and pastoral sensitivity.
“As a new bishop myself, I have appreciated his wise counsel on many matters. Archbishop Kieran brings a perspective to the table of the Irish Episcopal Conference which is drawn from his wide experience of mission in Liberia and Nigeria. Conscious of Pope Francis’ dream, mentioned in his Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, of a ‘missionary option’ to inspire everything we do in the Church, I have no doubt that Archbishop Kieran will continue to make an invaluable contribution to the renewal and mission of the Church in Ireland.
"I thank the members of the Society of African Missions, and in particular the Irish Provincial, Father Michael McCabe, for 'giving' Archbishop Kieran to us to serve as a bishop," he said.
Bishop O’Reilly. Photo: Catholicbishops.ie
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