Thank you for the welcome received in the parishes I have visited over the past month. It has been a very good experience, especially meeting the different people and groups that make up our diocesan community. Dates for forthcoming visits can be found here

Recent Appointments

Fr Andrew Barrett has been appointed as Diocesan Co-ordinator for the Scottish National Tribunal in succession to Sr Ishbel MacPherson. Fr Andrew has also agreed to act as liaison officer with the appropriate authorities regarding the new legislation applicable to non E U migrant religious workers.

Fr Ross Crichton has been appointed as Diocesan Religious Education Adviser. His immediate remit will be to represent the Diocese on The National Association of Roman Catholic Religious Education Advisers, a group which is currently engaged in the task of formulating the content of the Religious Education Syllabus for the new ‘Curriculum for Excellence’, proposed as “The Way Ahead” for education by Learning and Teaching Scotland.

Fr William Maclean has been appointed as Vice-Treasurer of the Diocese.  Since Fr William has gained some knowledge in running the Clergy funds the Trustees have asked him to become involved in learning about the financial and managerial affairs of the Diocese, and to provide back-up cover for the Treasurer.

Station Masses

I propose, for this year anyway, that the Station Masses, at which the various parishes from the deaneries gather together with the Bishop, be spread out over Lent and Eastertide.

The Lenten Station Mass will be in St Mun’s, Dunoon, on March 19th (Feast of St Joseph) at 7pm.

There will be a Deanery Mass in South Uist or Benbecula during my visit there in May, hopefully near Good Shepherd Sunday, in which we will pray for vocations.

The St. Margaret’s Deanery Mass will be nearer Pentecost in St. Mary’s, Fort William, in which we wll try to bring together the children (and their families) who have been confirmed this year and are preparing to receive Holy Communion.

Mass of Chrism

This will take place in the Cathedral on Wednesday 1st April at 7pm. We look forward to gathering as a Diocese, and as priests to renew our priestly promises and our personal commitment to the faith community of Argyll & The Isles.  As always our Cathedral Liturgy will be greatly enhanced  by the Diocesan Choir.

Kinnoull Pastoral Music Weekend

The next Pastoral Music Weekend will take place at Kinnoull from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd May.