Ordained 11th Bishop of Argyll and the Isles 18 February 2016
Bishop Brian McGee was born in Greenock. His father Seamus moved from Donegal to Scotland as a child while his mother Brighid lived in Belfast until her marriage to Seamus in 1964. He attended St Joseph’s Primary School and Holy Cross Primary School, both in Greenock. After primary education he continued his studies at St. Vincent’s College, Langbank and St. Mary’s College, Blairs.
Between 1983 and 1989, Bishop Brian studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland where he gained a Certificate in Philosophy with Distinction and Diploma in Theology with Distinction. In 2011 he completed a Master of Arts degree with Distinction in Christian Spirituality from Sarum College, Salisbury. On the Solemnity of St. Peter and Paul, 29 June 1989, Bishop McGee was ordained by Bishop John Mone as a priest for the Diocese of Paisley in St. Mary’s, Greenock.
The bishop’s first placement was as a curate at St. Charles, Paisley (1989-1995) where he was also chaplain to St. Charles Primary School, Sacred Heart High School, St. Andrew’s Academy and Dykebar Hospital. During 1995-97 he served as curate in Holy Family, Port Glasgow and chaplain to St. Michael’s Primary School. From 1997 to 2007 he was parish priest of St. Joseph’s, Clarkston and chaplain to St. Joseph’s Primary School and Our Lady of the Missions Primary School. He also assisted in St. Ninian’s High School. Bishop Brian was then appointed Spiritual Director at Scotus College, the Scottish National Seminary. After the closure of the National Seminary, he returned to Holy Family, Port Glasgow in 2009, as a parish priest. Here he was once more chaplain to St. Michael’s Primary School and to St. Stephen’s High School as well as part-time chaplain for Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock.
Positions held by Bishop Brian in the Diocese of Paisley included Director of RCIA 1993-2003, Vicar Episcopal for Marriage and Family Life 2006-2014 and Vicar General of the Diocese of Paisley 2014-16.
One of the great enrichments of his priesthood had been the opportunity to visit countries in the developing world. He has twice been to Arica in Chile to spend time with Paisley priests serving there. He also regularly volunteered at the Live with Hope Centre at Kericho, Kenya, run by Sr. Placida McCann, a Greenock born member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Four of these visits were with youth volunteers from his various parishes.
Rt. Rev. Brian McGee was appointed Bishop of Argyll and the Isles by Pope Francis on 28 December 2015 and ordained by Archbishop Leo Cushley on the 18 February 2016 in St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban.
Bishop Brian is Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, having been Episcopal Secretary from 2018-2024. Bishop Brian serves as Bishop President for Safeguarding, SCIAF, Inter Religious Dialogue and Synodality. He represented the Conference during the Synod of Bishops for Synodality.
Bishop’s House
Esplanade,
Oban,
Argyll,
PA34 5AB.
Scotland
Tel: 01631 567436 (office hours)
Tel: 01631 562692 (out of office hours)
Email: bishop@rcdai.org.uk
