Bishop Francis Dougan
Ordination Mass - Saturday 9th March
The Ordination Mass of Fr Frank Dougan as the ninth Bishop of Galloway will take place on Saturday 9th March and will be livestreamed on YouTube (@RCGalloway) and Facebook (/GallowayDiocese).
The stream will begin at 10.30 am, with the Mass beginning at 11.00 am.
To follow at home, the Order of Service for the Mass can be downloaded by clicking here.
Entrance to the church is by ticket only, tickets are available through your parish. If you arrive without a ticket, limited seating will be available in the hall which will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis, once it is full, there is no further additional capacity.
To watch the livestream online,
click here or use the embedded player below.
Mass of Reception - Sunday 10th March
Bishop Dougan will formally be received into St Margaret's Cathedral on Sunday 10th March. The Mass will be livestreamed on YouTube (@RCGalloway) and Facebook (/GallowayDiocese).
The stream will begin at 2.30 pm, with the Mass beginning at 3.00 pm.
To follow at home, the Order of Service for the Mass can be downloaded by clicking here.
Entrance to the Cathedral is by ticket only, tickets are available through your parish. There is no additional capacity at the Cathedral, please do not attend if you have not received a ticket.
To watch the livestream online, click here or use the embedded player below.
Pope Francis appoints new Bishop of Galloway
At 12 noon today (22 December 2023) in Rome (11am GMT) it was announced, that Pope Francis had nominated Fr. Frank Dougan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway. He will succeed Archbishop William Nolan who was Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 when he became Archbishop of Glasgow, since when it has been administered by Fr. William McFadden.
Reacting to his appointment, Fr. Frank said;
“I am humbled and more than a little bit nervous that Pope Francis has asked me to take on this office. I feel confident however that I will not be alone in spreading the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be joining with every single person in Galloway Diocese all of whom have a role to play, my role being just one of them.”
“With God’s grace and the deep faith of the Church in Galloway we can continue to build on the solid foundations left by those who have come before us, stretching back to St. Ninian who first planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Scotland here in Galloway.”
Fr. Frank added;
“My mother was from Ayr, and I spent many childhood summers here, so you could say there is a little bit of coming home for me! But most importantly, we must proclaim a Church where everyone can feel at home and welcomed.”
Responding to the news Diocesan Administrator Fr. William McFadden said:
"On behalf of the community in the Diocese of Galloway, I am delighted to warmly welcome Fr Dougan as our new bishop. I can assure him of an enthusiastic welcome as he comes among us bringing his unique pastoral leadership and skills. I look forward to working with him, and in continuing the implementation in the diocese of the pastoral and prophetic vision offered by Pope Francis for the Church today. "
