In response to the pastoral needs of the people of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Bishop Noel Treanor has made the following clerical appointments which take effect on Thursday 28th January 2016:
Fr Hugh Kennedy to be Chaplain to the Congregation of Our Lady, More House, Archdiocese of Westminster, London.
Fr Martin Graham to be Administrator of St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast.
Fr John McManus to be PP Strangford and Kilclief.
Fr Eugene O’Hagan to be Diocesan Chancellor.
Fr Gregory Cormican resignation on grounds of ill health as PP of Coleraine has been accepted.
Fr Brendan Mulhall CSsR to be Administrator of Coleraine.
Fr Peter O’Kane to be PP Christ the Redeemer, Lagmore.
Fr Brendan Hickland on sabbatical leave from St Teresa’s
Fr Don Kettle on loan from the Archdiocese of Perth, Australia, to be Administrator of St Teresa’s, Belfast.
Fr Peter Carlin to be priest in residence in St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast.
Fr Gary Toman to be priest in residence in Glenarm.
Fr Gerard Magee OCSO, with the permission of his Abbott, to the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB).
Fr Michael Dempsey CSsR to be Assistant Chaplain in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH).
Fr Joseph Rooney in addition to Judicial Vicar of the Diocese appointed Judicial Vicar for the Armagh Regional Marriage Tribunal.
Fr Gerard Fox in addition to his ongoing position as Director of Formation in St Malachy’s Seminary to assist and supply within the West Belfast Pastoral Community.
Fr Paul Morely in addition to CC Holy Family, at the request of Cardinal George Alencherry, Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, appointed assistant priest to the Syro-Malabar community in Down and Connor.
Fr Vincent Cushnahan appointed to the Down and Connor Office of the Armagh Regional Marriage Tribunal at the Good Shepherd Centre, Belfast and to be priest in residence in the Parish of the Nativity, Belfast.
Fr Andrew Black recently ordained to be Catholic Chaplain in Belfast City Hospital (BCH) residing in St Paul’s, Belfast
Fr Conor McCarthy recently ordained to be CC Larne.
Once again, on behalf of the Diocese I extend my heartfelt thanks to Bishop Anthony Farquhar who recently retired after many years of pastoral ministry and fruitful service within the Diocese of Down and Connor.
I also pay tribute to and thank Fr Phil Dunlea CSsR who retired recently after many years of service within the Royal Victoria Hospital.
I would like to record my thanks to all my priest colleagues affected by the above appointments. I thank all involved in these appointments for their co-operation and I wish them God’s blessing, good health and fulfilment in their respective ministries.
+Noel Treanor
Bishop of Down and Connor