Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, has announced the retirement of two popular Derry priests.
Monsignor Joseph Donnelly and Fr Peter McLaughlin are to retire as parish priests in Drumragh (Omagh) and Sion Mills respectively. The announcement was part of a series of clerical changes unveiled by Bishop McKeown yesterday.
The full list of changes for the Derry diocese is:
Fr Peter Madden, PP Ballinascreen, to be, in addition, Vicar Forane for County Derry Deanery;
Fr Kevin J McElhennon, PP Cappagh, to be, in addition, Vicar Forane for the Tyrone Deanery;
Fr Kieran O’Doherty, PP Granaghan, to be Priest-in-Residence Maghera;
Monsignor Joseph Donnelly, PP Drumragh, to retire;
Fr Peter McLaughlin, PP Sion Mills, to retire;
Fr Michael Doherty, PP Mourne, to be, in addition, PP Sion Mills;
Fr Charles Keaney, returning from sabbatical study leave, to be PP Granaghan;
Fr Eugene Hasson, CC Drumragh, to be PP Drumragh;
Fr Thomas Canning, CC Three Patrons, to be CC Sion Mills and CC Mourne, residing at Sion Mills;
Fr Christopher McDermott, CC Templemore (St Eugene’s), to be CC Drumragh and part-time further studies;
Fr Kevin Mulhern, on loan from the Society of African Missions, to be CC Three Patrons;
Fr Malachy Gallagher, newly ordained, to be CC Glendermott and Strathfoyle.
