The Cork-born bishop of Kontagora in Nigeria has stepped down on health grounds after spending thirty-six years ministering in Africa. Bishop Tim Carroll’s resignation was accepted by the Vatican after the 71-year old cleric said he has been experiencing poor health in recent years and felt it timely to hand over to a younger man.
Bishop Carroll has worked in the Kwara and Niger States area of Nigeria since he was ordained in 1965.
A native of Millstreet in north Cork and a member of the Society of African Missions, he was appointed Prefect of Kontagora in 1995, and, when it became a fully-fledged diocese seven years later, he was named bishop.
A noted linguist, Bishop Carroll translated several books of the Bible, including the Synoptic Gospels, into the Kamberi language, which is spoken by one of the seven ethnic groups in the area.
These are now in use by many Christian denominations throughout the area.
The diocese where Bishop Carroll ministered covers 46,000km2 with an estimated population of 1.6 million, split into sixteen parishes.
Bishop Carroll was heavily involved in developing adult literacy programmes and training lay church leaders in the diocese, as well as assembling well-digging teams, managed by priests, who work around villages to help them develop clean water sources.
The first SMA missionaries came to the area in 1937 and now the Society has approximately a dozen priests ministering there.
They include Fr Dan McCauley, from Strabane, Co Tyrone, who has been appointed apostolic administrator and is favourite to succeed Bishop Carroll.
SIC: CIN