Diocesan Clergy
There are currently 75 parishes and 74 churches in the Diocese which are served by 73 Priests and 13 Deacons.
Father Krysztof Garwolinski, administrator of St Luke's Motherwell is chaplain to the Polish Community. Father Joseph Vembadamthara is Chaplain to the Syro Malabar Community and is an Assistant Priest at St Cuthbert's Hamilton.
In 2011 many Priests retired meaning big changes in the Diocese. The Most notable retirement was of Canon Noel Provost Carey who had served as Parish Priest of the Cathedral for 30 Years and as provost of the diocese for many of them, with Canon Thomas Millar (made Canon in Dec 2011) taking over charge of the Cathedral in June 2011. Father Francis McGachey replaced Fr Millar as Parish Priest of St Francis Carfin and Carfin Grotto.
Other retirements included: Canon William O'Sullivan (St Barbara's Muirhead, Fr Brian Logue (St Kevin's Bargeddie), Fr Leo Muldoon (St Peter's Hamilton), Fr James O'Hara(St Mark's Rutherglen), Canon Timothy Brosnan(St Gerard's Bellshill), Canon Andrew Reen(St Barbara's Muirhead) and Canon Michael Ryan(St Bride's East Kilbride). Canon Niall Hayes(St John Bosco's New Stevenston), Mgr Michael Conway(St Ignatius' Wishaw), Father John Farrell(St Patrick's Strathaven), Father Damian Murphy(St Paul's Hamilton) Canon John Healy(St Serf's Airdrie), Canon Michael Walsh(St Aloysius' Chapelhall) and Father Vivian Hayes(St Francis of Assisi Baillieston) all retired in 2012. Canon Henry Allison was also due to retire as Parish Priest of St Anthony's Rutherglen but sadly passed away on 3rd January.
There were two ordination to the Priesthood in the Diocese in 2011, the first ordinations in the Diocese since 2005. Father Michael Kane was ordained in St John's Uddingston and Father Liam O'Connor in St Barbara's Muirhead. There were also two men ordained to the Permanent Deaconate in 2011. Mr John McGarry who was ordained in St Bride's East Kilbride and now serves there and Mr Mario Vannini who was ordained in Our Lady and Saint Anne's Hamilton and now serves in both St Ninians and St Cuthberts Hamilton. Mr Richard Haggarty was ordained for the Diocese in early 2012 and serves in St John the Baptist Uddingston. In September 2012 another two men were ordained deacons, both Mr Henry McKenna at St Patrick's Shotts and Mr William McMillan in St Benedict's Easterhouse who will serve St Columbkille's Rutherglen.
Fr Raymond Breslin is the Vocations Director of the Diocese.
Read more about this topic: Roman Catholic Diocese Of Motherwell
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“I never saw, heard, nor read, that the clergy were beloved in any nation where Christianity was the religion of the country. Nothing can render them popular, but some degree of persecution.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)