Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe

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Catholic diocese in Ireland

See Diocese of Derry and Raphoe for the Anglican (Church of Ireland) counterpart

The Diocese of Raphoe ( rə-FOH; Irish: Deoise Ráth Bhoth) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the inter-Irish primatial ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh.[1]

On 9 June 2017, Alan McGuckian was appointed Bishop of Raphoe and was ordained to the episcopate on 5 August 2017.

History[edit]

  • Established circa 700 as Abbacy nullius of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin)
  • Promoted in 1111 as Diocese of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin).

Statistics and Geographic remit[edit]

The bishopric covers most of County Donegal apart from the Inishowen peninsula. The largest towns are Ballyshannon, Donegal, Letterkenny and Stranorlar. As per 2014 it pastorally served 82,600 Catholics (91.1% of 90,700 total) on 4,030 km² (1555 sq. mi.) in 33 parishes with 85 priests (83 diocesan, 2 religious), 48 lay religious (4 brothers, 44 sisters) and 5 seminarians.

The bishop’s residence – Ard Adomnán – is in the town of Letterkenny. It is located beside the Parochial House, near the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba which is dedicated to the joint patrons of the diocese – Saints Eunan (also known as Adomnán) and Columba (also known as Columcille).
The former Cathedral, once Cathedral of St Eunan, also in Raphoe, is now a Protestant church.

Episcopal ordinaries[edit]

Abbots Nullius of Raphoe
not available ?
Suffragan Bishops of Raphoe
  • … first incumbent(s) unavailable ?
  • Gilla in Choimded Ua Caráin (Gilbert O’Caran) (1156?–1175), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1175 – death 1180)
  • Máel Pátraic Ó Scannail (Patrick O’Scanlan), Dominican Order (O.P.) (1253.10 – 1261.11.05), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1261.11.05 – death 1270.03.16)
  • Giovanni de Alneto, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1263.12.03 – 1265.04.28)
  • Cairpre Ó Scuapa (1265 – death 1274)
  • Fergal Ó Firghil (Florentius O’Ferrell) (1275 – death 1299)
  • Énri Mac in Chrossáin (Henricus) (1306 – death 1319)
  • Tomás Mac Carmaic Uí Domnaill (1319 – death 1337)
  • Pádraig Mac Maonghaill (? – death 1367)
  • Conchobhar Mac Carmaic Uí Dhomhnaill (Cornelius) (1367.12.23 – retired 1397.02.21), died 1399
  • Seoán Mac Meanmain, Cistercian Order (O. Cist.) (1397.02.21 – ?)
  • Eóin Mac Carmaic (Johannes) (1400 – death 1419)
  • Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1420.02.28 – death 1438)
  • Cornelius Mac Giolla Bhrighde (1440.07.20 – death 1442)
  • Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1442.06.18 – death 1479)
  • Johannes de Rogeriis (1479.11.12 – death 1482)
  • Meanma Mac Carmaic (Menelaus Mac Carmacáin) (1482.11.04 – retired 1514.02.06), died 1515
  • Cornelius O’Cahan (Conn Ó Cathláin) (1514.02.06 – retired 1534), died ?1550
  • Edmund O’Gallagher (Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair) (1534.05.11 – death 1543.02.26)
  • Art O’Gallagher (1547.12.05 – death 1561.08.13)
  • Donald MacGongail (Donald McGonagle) (1562.01.28 – death 1589.09.29)
  • Niall O’Boyle (1591.08.09 – death 1611.02.06)
  • John O’Cullenan (1625.06.09 – death 1661.03.24)
    • Apostolic Administrator Fergus Laurence Lea (1694.02.18 – death 1696), while Bishop of Derry (Northern Ireland) (1694.02.08 – 1696 not possessed)
  • …
  • James O’Gallagher (1725–1737)
  • Daniel O’Gallagher, Franciscan Order (O.F.M.) (1737–1749)
  • Anthony O’Donnell, O.F.M. (1750–1755)
  • Nathaniel O’Donnell (1755–1758)
  • Philip O’Reilly (1759–1782)
  • Anthony Coyle (1782–1801), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Anthony Coyle (1777.04.27 – 1782)
  • Peter McLaughlin (1802–1819)
  • Patrick McGettigan (1820–1861)
  • Daniel McGettigan (1861–1870), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Daniel McGettigan (later Archbishop) (1856.02.29 – 1861.05.01)
  • James McDevitt (1871–1879)
  • Michael Logue (1879–1887)
  • Patrick O’Donnell (1888–1922)
  • William MacNeely (1923–1963)
  • Anthony Columba McFeely (1965–1982)
  • Séamus Hegarty (1982–1994)
  • Philip Boyce, Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.) (1995– 2017.06.09)
  • Alan McGuckian, Jesuit Order (S.J.) (2017.06.09 – …)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]