Bishop Toal announces the following clergy retirements and appointments, to take effect from 29th September 2020.
RETIREMENTS
Fr Hugh Kelly, PP of St Brigid’s Newmains, will relinquish Office as Parish Priest on 29th September and will live in retirement with friends. Fr Kelly has given outstanding service as a priest of the Diocese and we thank him for that, especially for these most recent years in Newmains but not forgetting all the other parishes he has served in and the other ministries he has faithfully carried out. I am sure we will still see him helping out with supplies and we wish him good health and every blessing into the future.
Fr Eamonn Sweeney, PP of St Patrick’s Coatbridge, will also relinquish Office as Parish Priest on 29th September. Fr Sweeney has asked to continue in parish ministry and will reside in the chapel- house at St Brigid’s, Newmains, and will assist in the parish, while being able to visit home in Co. Mayo from time to time. Once again, we acknowledge Fr Eamonn’s outstanding service as a priest of the Diocese, particularly through these last 20 odd years in St Patrick’s. He will be greatly missed there but he heaves in good health and spirit and with great memories of all that has been achieved in his time in Coatbridge. Again, we thank Fr Eamonn and wish him every blessing as he moves to Newmains.
Sr Moira Duffy RSM, Pastoral Assistant at St Patrick’s, Coatbridge, will also retire from her ministry in St Patrick’s. Sr Moira has also worked tirelessly in St Patrick’s along with Fr Eamonn and the people of the parish. Once again, we thank her for all she has done and wish her every blessing for the future. Sr Moira intends to have a break for a time and have opportunity to reflect and decide how she will serve the Lord and his Church in the future. Our thoughts and good wishes accompany her.
Deacon Richard Haggerty, Permanent Deacon at St John the Baptist’s Uddingston, is retiring from his pastoral ministry in the parish. We thank Deacon Richard for his ministry in Uddingston and wish him every blessing for the future.
Deacon Alex Stewart is stepping down from his ministry as Assistant Chaplain in Monklands Hospital, but will continue parish ministry in St Mary’s and St Bernard’s, Coatbridge.
APPOINTMENTS
Fr Stephen Rooney, PP of St Ignatius’ Wishaw, will also be Parish Priest of St Brigid’s Newmains. Fr Rooney will be assisted by Fr Sweeney, and when necessary by Fr Krzysztof Garwolinski and Fr Kieran Hamilton, from St Patrick’s and St Thomas’. By bringing this group of priests, PPs, Assistant and Retired Priests (including Mgr Michael Conway also) closer together in their ministry across 4 parishes, a team is being formed to cover an area formed by a number of parishes and this is something to be considered elsewhere within the Diocese.
Fr Kevin McGoldrick. PP of Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s Bellshill, will become Parish Priest of St Patrick’s Coatbridge, on 29th September. Deacon Tom Gorman will move with Fr McGoldrick to St Patrick’s.
Fr Stuart Parkes, until recently Vice-Rector at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome, will become Parish Priest of Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s Bellshill on 29th September.
Fr Colin Hughes, PP of The Most Holy Trinity Coatdyke, will become Parish Priest of St Bride’s, Bothwell, on 29th September. To allow for Fr Hughes’ appointment as PP, Fr Brian Lamb, who has been PP of St Bride’s over the last year, has demitted that office. Fr Lamb will administer the parish until Fr Hughes’ appointment begins. We thank Fr Lamb, along with Fr John Paul McShane and Fr Mark O’Donnell, for their ministry in St Bride’s and for the work undertaken and completed.
Fr Thomas Doyle, PP of St Mary’s Lanark and St Isidore’s Biggar, will become Parish Priest of the Most Blessed Trinity (Holy Trinity and All Saints Coatdyke and St Stephen’s Sikeside) from 29th September.
Fr John Paul McShane, Assistant Priest at St Joseph’s Blantyre and St Bride’s Bothwell, will become Parish Priest of St Mary’s Lanark and St Isidore’s Biggar (including St Mary Magdalene’s Forth) on 29th September. Fr McShane will also succeed Fr Bill Bergin as Chaplain to Carstairs State Hospital. We thank Fr Bergin for his work as chaplain at State Hospital.
Fr Bruce McPhail will now become Administrator of St Andrew’s, Airdrie, the Parish he has already been ministering in. We thank Fr Desmond Keegan for his Administration of St Andrew’s in recent times.
Fr Martin Delaney will now assist Fr McPhail in the Chaplaincy Ministry at Monklands Hospital in succession to Fr Kevin Lawrie, whose move to St Joseph’s Blantyre has already been announced. We thank Fr Kevin for his ministry at Monklands.
