His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Francis Duffy, to minister simultaneously as Archbishop of Tuam and as Bishop of Killala.
The two Dioceses concerned, united in persona episcopi, will be pastorally administered by one Bishop.
The news of this Episcopal appointment will be made public today at 11.00am Ireland time (12.00pm in the Vatican), following the celebration of 10.00am Mass in Saint Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, Co Mayo, in the Diocese of Killala.
In attendance will be Archbishop Duffy; Father Michael Gilroy, Chairperson of the College of Consultor, as well as clergy and parishioners.
Words of Archbishop Francis Duffy
Good morning. I welcome you to Saint Muredach’s Cathedral and I welcome all who join us online.
A biblical phrase comes to mind as my appointment as the new Bishop of Killala is announced. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord says: “Yes, I know the plans I have in mind for you, Yahweh declares, plans for peace, … to give you a future full of hope.”[1]
I wish to pay tribute to, and thank my predecessor, Bishop John Fleming, who served as bishop in this diocese for twenty-two years. Bishop John’s vision, his ability to listen and read the signs of the times, and his dedicated work have contributed immensely to pastoral initiatives in this diocese. Bishop John, we owe you a debt of gratitude and we thank you for your leadership.
With the appointment of a new Bishop, the Lord is honouring his promise to provide shepherds to teach, govern and sanctify his people by proclaiming the Gospel, by the work of administration and leadership, and by celebrating the sacraments, most especially the Sunday Mass, “summit and source of the entire Christian life.”[2]
On this occasion, something new is happening here. For the first time, the Bishop of Killala is, at the same time, the Archbishop of Tuam, and in him both dioceses are united. The Church describes this as the union of dioceses in persona episcopi, in the person of the Bishop. The two dioceses remain distinct, their individual identities are preserved, they are governed separately, but they share the same Bishop.[3]
This development was foreseen when, almost two years ago, the Apostolic Nuncio outlined the broader structural vision for the dioceses in the West of Ireland, in our grouping of six dioceses known as the Metropolitan Province of Tuam. Archbishop Montemayor, spoke of a gradual reorganisation, shared episcopal governance, strength through unity, and an eventual merging of dioceses.[4] It is important to note, and it must be emphasised, that the Apostolic Nuncio framed this reorganisation not as decline, but as strategic adaptation to evolving pastoral realities.
However, reorganisation is not purely administrative. It is rooted and lived in pastoral experience. That is not to say that an occasion such as this does not also generate feelings of loneliness, or even regret that what was so familiar and normal in the past, is no longer the case. There may be a sense, among some, that something is being lost – our identity, our diocesan history and culture, our uniqueness. These are real feelings, and they must be understood and acknowledged sensitively.
For that reason, today’s announcement follows from an extensive synodal-style consultation across the Dioceses of Killala and Tuam[5] during the spring and summer of 2025, through which the faithful – that is, lay women and men, religious, clergy, and youth – had an opportunity to contribute to the conversation and to have their voices heard in the decision-making process.
The announcement also celebrates what is already in place, including the presence of the Diocesan Synodal Team, the Implementation Committee, the Diocesan Pastoral Plan – Placing Hope in Faith, and the recently-commissioned lay ministers. In this context, then, diocesan reorganisation across the province, and specifically in terms of Killala and Tuam, is not institutional survivalism but mission-driven renewal. It is mission-focused reform, with the Good News of Jesus Christ at the centre. We are standing on the threshold of something new, something exciting, something providential. We are standing before the Lord, the head of the Church,[6] who says, “I came that [you] may have life, and have it more abundantly.”[7]
When I became Apostolic Administrator almost two years ago, it was a priority for me to get to know the priests, people and parishes of Killala, not to mention its geography. It was a great experience to visit priests in their homes and listen to their accounts of life and their views. These visitations brought me across great stretches of territory, and beautiful landscape, from Blacksod Bay in Erris over to Drumard in County Sligo; down south to Ballycroy and Glenhest in County Mayo.
Having already accompanied you since Bishop John’s retirement, I am honoured to have been given this appointment, and I invite you to join me as we, trusting in the Lord,[8] go forward together into “a future full of hope”.
Thank you.