The Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

) is an ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed fo ...

, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh.

Overview

The diocese covers an area of 31,080 km² and has a Catholic population of 10,546 (14.1%) out of a total population of 74,546 (2006 figures). The

see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

is in the town of

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

where the seat is located at St Columba's Cathedral.

History

The diocese was erected on 5 March 1878 following the

restoration of the Scottish Catholic hierarchy The re-establishment of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Scotland took effect on 15 March 1878. This followed the restoration of the English hierarchy in 1850. The restoration was carried out on the instructions of Pope Leo XIII and was ...

. On 28 December 2015

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

appointed Father Brian McGee to succeed the Right Reverend Joseph Toal as eleventh Bishop of Argyll and the Isles.

Timeline

After its establishment in 1878, the seat of the diocese was in various buildings each overlapping the same site: * 5 March 1878: The Scottish Catholic hierarchy is restored and the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles is erected. There was no cathedral, and the bishop resided in, what became, the Cathedral House. It was bought from the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

who previously used it as a summer retreat house. * Early 1880s: A wooden building served as the pro-cathedral for the diocese. It was located on the site of the Cathedral Hall. * 1886: A church made of corrugated iron became the pro-cathedral. It was known as the 'Tin Cathedral' and was given to the diocese by the

Marquess of Bute Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute, John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute. Family history John Stuart ...

. * 1919: Bishop Donald Martin decided to build a permanent cathedral. * 14 September 1932: The foundation stone of St Columba's Cathedral was laid. * 29 October 1933: The 'Tin Cathedral' was demolished to allow space for the cathedral to be finished. Worship continued in the Cathedral Hall. * 25 December 1934: The cathedral was opened.

Deaneries and Parishes

The diocese is organised into three deaneries each with several parishes: * St Andrew’s Deanery Dean: Fr Michael Hutson ** Parishes * St Columba’s Cathedral,

* The Visitation,

Taynuilt Taynuilt (; , meaning 'the house by the stream') is a large village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland located at the western entrance to the narrow Pass of Brander. Location The village is situated on the River Nant about a kilometre before the rive ...

* St Andrew,

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

* St Margaret,

Lochgilphead Lochgilphead (; gd, Ceann Loch Gilb ) is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom, with a population of around 2,300 people. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. The village lies at the end of Loch Gi ...

* St Mun,

Dunoon Dunoon (; gd, Dùn Omhain) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well ...

* St Kieran,

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing ...

* Holy Cross,

Brodick Brodick ( , gd, Tràigh a' Chaisteil ("Castle Beach") or ''Breadhaig'') is the main village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It is halfway along the east coast of the island, in Brodick Bay below Goat Fell, the tallest mo ...

* St Margaret’s Deanery Dean: Fr Roddy McAuley ** Parishes: * St Mary,

Arisaig Arisaig ( gd, Àrasaig) is a village in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. It lies south of Mallaig on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, within the Rough Bounds. Arisaig is also the traditional name for part of the surrounding peninsula south ...

* St Margaret,

Roybridge Roybridge (Scottish Gaelic: ''Drochaid Ruaidh'', "the bridge over the Roy") is a small village, that lies at the confluence of the rivers River Roy and River Spean, located east of Spean Bridge, in Kilmonivaig Parish, Inverness-shire, Scottis ...

* Our Lady of the Assumption,

Portree Portree (; gd, Port Rìgh, ) is the largest town on, and capital of, the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-155. It is the location for the only secondary school o ...

* Our Lady of the Angels, Mingarry * St Mun,

Ballachulish The village of Ballachulish ( or , from Scottish Gaelic ) in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred on former slate quarries. The name Ballachulish (Ballecheles, 1522 – Straits town) was more correctly applied to the area now called No ...

* St Mary, Fort William * St John’s,

Caol Caol ( Gaelic: ''An Caol'') is a village near Fort William, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is about north of Fort William town centre, on the shore of Loch Linnhe, and within the parish of Kilmallie. The name "Caol" is from the ...

* Our Lady of the Rosary and St Columba,

Kingussie Kingussie ( ; gd, Ceann a' Ghiùthsaich ) is a small town in the Badenoch and Strathspey ward of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically in Inverness-shire, it lies beside the A9 road, although the old route of the A9 serves as the ...

* St Mary & St Finnan,

Glenfinnan Glenfinnan ( gd, Gleann Fhionnain ) is a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his standard on the shores of Loch Shiel. S ...

* Our Lady of Perpetual Succour & St Cumin,

Morar Morar (; gd, Mòrar) is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the northern part of the peninsula containing the village, though North Morar is more usual (the region to the south wes ...

* St Michael’s Deanery Dean: Fr Michael MacDonald ** Parishes: * Our Holy Redeemer,

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

* St Barr, Northbay * St Michael,

Eriskay Eriskay ( gd, Èirisgeigh), from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland with a population of 143, as of the 2011 census. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is ...

* St Peter,

Daliburgh Daliburgh ( gd, Dalabrog) is a crofting township on South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Daliburgh is situated west from Lochboisdale, has the second largest population of any township in South Uist, and is also in the parish of South ...

* Our Lady, Star of the Sea,

Castlebay Castlebay ( gd, Bàgh a' Chaisteil) is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The village is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean domi ...

* St Mary,

Bornish Bornish ( gd, Bòrnais) is a village and community council area on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Bornish is also within the civil parish of South Uist. The A865 passes through Bornish, on the route between Lochmaddy and Lochboisda ...

* St Mary,

Benbecula Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...

* St Michael, Ardkenneth

Education

There are Catholic primary schools in

and Fort William.

Bishops

Past and present ordinaries

The following is a list of the Bishops of Argyll and the Isles: * Angus MacDonald (appointed 22 March 1878 – translated to the

Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh The Archdiocese of Saint Andrews & Edinburgh ( la, Archidioecesis Sancti Andreae et Edimburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the metropolitan see of the province of Saint Andrews and Edinbu ...

on 15 July 1892) *

George John Smith Colonel George John Smith (1862–1946) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the City of Christchurch electorate in the South Island, and later a member of the Legislative Council. Early life Smith was born in Consett in County Durh ...

(appointed 31 December 1892 – died 18 January 1918) *

Donald Martin Don Martin may refer to: * Don Martin (cartoonist) (1931–2000), cartoonist for ''Mad Magazine'' * Don Martin (footballer) (1944–2009), English professional footballer for Northampton Town and Blackburn Rovers * Don Martin (basketball) (1920– ...

(appointed 2 April 1919 – died 6 December 1938) *

Donald Alphonsus Campbell Donald Alphonsus Campbell (1894–1963) was a Scottish prelate who served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow from 1945 to 1963. Life Born in Bohuntine, Glen Roy, Inverness-shire on 8 December 1894, he was ordained to the priesthood ...

(appointed 5 October 1939 – translated to the

Archdiocese of Glasgow The Archdiocese of Glasgow was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the Scottish church. It was the second largest diocese in the Kingdom of Scotland, including Clydesdale, Teviotdale, parts of Tweeddale, Liddesdale, Annand ...

on 6 January 1945) *

Kenneth Grant Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byna ...

(appointed 15 December 1945 – died 7 September 1959) *

Stephen McGill The Right Reverend Stephen McGill PSS (4 January 1912 – 9 November 2005) was the sixth Bishop of Argyll and the Isles and second Bishop of Paisley. Early life Stephen McGill was born on 4 January 1912 to Peter McGill and Charlotte Connolly ...

, P.S.S. (appointed 4 April 1960 – translated to the

Diocese of Paisley The Diocese of Paisley ( la, Dioecesis Pasletana) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, the diocese covers the historic county o ...

25 July 1968) * Colin Aloysius MacPherson (appointed 2 December 1968 – died 24 March 1990) * Roderick Wright (appointed 11 December 1990 – resigned 19 September 1996) * ''(

Keith O'Brien Keith Michael Patrick Cardinal O'Brien (17 March 1938 – 19 March 2018) was a senior-ranking Catholic prelate in Scotland. He was the Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh from 1985 to 2013. Cardinal O'Brien was the leader of the Catho ...

, appointed

apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

June 1996 – resigned October 1999)'' * Ian Murray (appointed 3 November 1999 – retired 16 October 2008) * Joseph Anthony Toal (appointed 16 October 2008 - translated to Diocese of Motherwell 23 June 2014) * ''

sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...

'' (23 June 2014 - 28 December 2015) * Brian McGee (appointed 28 December 2015)

Coadjutor Bishop

* Ewen (Hugh) Cameron (1917), did not take effect

References

External links

*
Diocesan statistics
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argyll and the Isles Religion in Oban Roman Catholic dioceses in Scotland Religious organizations established in 1878 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of St Andrews and Edinburgh