The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway ( la, Dioecesis Candidae Casae o Gallovidianus) 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

Roman 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 ...

. The pre-

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Diocese of Galloway The Diocese of Galloway was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the pre-1689 Scottish Church. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Galloway and was centred on Whithorn Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, there was only one archd ...

, held to have been founded by

St Ninian Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedication ...

in the fifth century, had broken allegiance with

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1560, and disappeared in 1689 in the (official)

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

but continued in the

Episcopal Church of Scotland The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...

. The modern Roman Catholic diocese incorporates the local authority areas of

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquart ...

and parts of

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...

, (

Cumbrae Great Cumbrae ( sco, Muckle Cumbrae; gd, Cumaradh Mòr; also known as Great Cumbrae Island, Cumbrae or the Isle of Cumbrae) is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland. The island is s ...

). The bishop's

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the raised throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

is at St Margaret's Cathedral,

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

. The diocese was re-established by the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

on 4 March 1878, with its cathedral in

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

and its territory covering the sparse and rural counties of

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative county ...

Wigtownshire Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an administrative county used for local government. Since 1975 the area has f ...

and parts of

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

. Following the reorganisation of 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 ...

in 1947, parishes to the north of Galloway were transferred to it from Glasgow, creating a significant population centre for the first time around the town of Ayr. In response to this development Bishop McGee moved his residence from Dumfries to Ayr and, following a catastrophic fire at St Andrew's Cathedral in May 1962, it was decided that the Good Shepherd Church, Ayr should also become the diocesan cathedral. The third and present cathedral, following the closure of Good Shepherd Cathedral in May 2007, is St Margaret's Cathedral in Ayr. The eighth and most recent bishop of the diocese was the Right Reverend William Nolan, since 2022 the

Archbishop of Glasgow The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of the ...

Bishops

Past and present ordinaries

(The following list is included in, but is not the only part of, post-Reformation bishops in the above-mentioned main article.)
The following is a list of the modern Bishops of Galloway: * John McLachlan (appointed 22 March 1878 – died 16 January 1893) * William Turner (appointed 16 June 1893 – died 19 January 1914) * James William McCarthy (appointed 25 May 1914 – died 24 December 1943) * William Henry Mellon (succeeded 24 December 1943 – died 2 February 1952) * Joseph Michael McGee (appointed 19 July 1952 – retired 4 April 1981) *

Maurice Taylor Maurice De Shawn Taylor (born October 30, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward and center positions. Originally from Detroit, Taylor played college basketball at Michigan and was selected by the L ...

(appointed 4 April 1981 – retired 7 April 2004) * John Cunningham (appointed 7 April 2004 – retired 22 November 2014) * William Nolan (appointed 22 November 2014 – installed as

26 February 2022) The diocese is presently

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 ...

Coadjutor Bishop

* William Henry Mellon (1935-1943)

Parishes

The following is a list of current and former churches within the Diocese of Galloway: * Ayr, St Margaret's Cathedral * Ayr, St Paul's, Belmont * Ayr, Good Shepherd Cathedral, Whitletts (church closed) * Annan, Saint Columba * Ardrossan, Saint Peter-in-Chain

* Auchinleck, Our Lady & St Patrick *Beith, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour *

Castle Douglas Castle Douglas ( gd, Caisteal Dhùghlais) is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the lieutenancy area of Kirkcudbrightshire, in the eastern part of Galloway, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet. It is in the ...

, Saint John the Evangelist (church closed) * Catrine, Saint Joseph (church closed) * Cumnock,

Saint John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...

Dalbeattie Dalbeattie (, sco, Dawbeattie, gd, Dail Bheithe meaning 'haugh of the birch' or ''Dail'' ''bhàite'' 'drowned (''i.e.'' liable to flood) haugh') is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Dalbea ...

, Saint Pete

* Dalry, Saint Palladius * Darvel, Our Lady of the Valley (church closed) * Drongan, Saint Clare (church closed) * Dumfries, Saint Andre

* Dumfries, Saint Teresa * Galston, East Ayrshire, Galston, Saint Sophi

* Gatehouse of Fleet, Church of the Resurrection (closed February 2020) * Girvan, The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary * Hurlford, Saint Paul * Irvine, Saint John Ogilvie * Irvine, Saint Margaret of Scotland (Closed) * Irvine, Saint Mary * Kilbirnie, Saint Brigid * Kilmarnock, Saint Joseph * Kilmarnock, Saint Matthew * Kilmarnock, Saint Michael (church closed 2017 and demolished ) * Kilmarnock, Our Lady of Mount Carmel * Kilwinning, Saint Winin * Kirkconnel, Saint Conal (church closed) * Kirkcudbright, Saint Andrew and Saint Cuthbert * Langholm, Saint Francis of Assisi (church closed) * Largs, Saint Mary, Star of the Sea * Lockerbie, Holy Trinity * Maybole, Our Lady and St Cuthbert * Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour * Moffat, Saint Luke * Mossblown, Saint Ann * Muirkirk, Saint Thomas, Apostle *

New Abbey New Abbey ( gd, An Abaid Ùr) is a village in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is south of Dumfries. The summit of the prominent hill Criffel is to the south. History The village has a wealth ...

, Saint Mar

* Newton Stewart, Our Lady and Saint Ninian * Prestwick, Saint Quivox * Saltcoats, Saint Brendan (closed) * Saltcoats, Our Lady, Star of the Sea * Stevenston, Saint John * Stewarton, Our Lady and Saint John (closed 2019

* Stranraer, Saint Joseph * Troon, Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Medda

* Waterside, Saint Francis Xavier * West Kilbride, Saint Bride *

Whithorn Whithorn ( �ʍɪthorn 'HWIT-horn'; ''Taigh Mhàrtainn'' in Gaelic), is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian ...

, Saint Martin and Saint Ninia

*

Wigtown Wigtown ( (both used locally); gd, Baile na h-Ùige) is a town and former royal burgh in Wigtownshire, of which it is the county town, within the Dumfries and Galloway region in Scotland. It lies east of Stranraer and south of Newton Stewart. I ...

, The Sacred Heart (no Sunday Mass)

References

External links

Diocese of Galloway
* *http://www.gallowaydiocese.org.uk/parishes/4590439073 *https://scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/st-peter-in-chains-ardrossan/ *https://canmore.org.uk/site/156743/troon-st-meddans-street-church-of-our-lady-of-the-assumption-and-st-meddan *https://canmore.org.uk/site/256587/new-abbey-st-marys-roman-catholic-church-presbytery *http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=406695 *https://canmore.org.uk/site/159934/dumfries-shakespeare-street-st-andrews-rc-pro-cathedral *https://canmore.org.uk/site/120851/dalbeattie-craignair-street-saint-peters-roman-catholic-church *https://canmore.org.uk/site/181213/galston-bentinck-street-st-sophias-roman-catholic-church *http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/57622/very-sad-day-as-stewarton-church-closes-after-45-years/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Galloway Religion in Ayr Roman Catholic dioceses in Scotland Religious organizations established in 1878 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1878 establishments in Scotland Galloway Organisations based in South Ayrshire Dumfries and Galloway South Ayrshire East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of St Andrews and Edinburgh

Bishops

Past and present ordinaries

Coadjutor Bishop

Parishes

See also

References

External links