From the Bishop of Aberdeen
Rt. Rev. Peter A. Moran
to the parishioners of St Mary’s, Inverness,
St Vincent’s, Tain and St Joseph’s, Invergordon,
and of parishes, for the time being,
served from St Mary’s, Inverness
Dear friends in Christ
I write to give you information about clergy changes in your area. Part of it may be news to you, but other parts will not be unexpected. All of it has been discussed with the priests involved. I hope that you will accept the changes which I have judged necessary, and that you will offer your support to the priests concerned.
Monsignor Robert McDonald has been Parish Priest of St Mary’s since 1995. I feel confident in saying that his pastoral dedication and his gentle courtesy have won him deep appreciation and indeed affection in Inverness and the surrounding area. Certainly, on my pastoral visits he has invariably been full of warmth and concern that I should feel entirely welcome.
Retirement for priests is usually at seventy-five. Monsignor has worked on well past that milestone. What is more, he has done so despite considerable discomfort in walking, and two major operations. I think this veteran soldier has earned the right to lay down his arms. Monsignor Robert will officially retire on May 1st, one week from this announcement. On your behalf I thank him for his many years of service and I hope that the detail of that service can be spelt out and recognised in due course.
To replace Monsignor, if indeed such a thing is possible, I have approached Father Michael Savage, presently Parish Priest in Tain, Invergordon and Alness. Father Michael has been on loan to our diocese from the Archdiocese of Glasgow. We owe him many thanks for his pastoral work in Easter Ross, but now I need him in Inverness. I have to thank Archbishop Mario for agreeing to extend Father Michael’s term with us by several years; and I am very grateful to Father Michael himself for his readiness to move from Tain to St Mary’s. The official date of that move will be 31st May.
Father James Bell has been a Catholic priest for little more than one year. However, he came to us with years of pastoral experience, and has rendered sterling service at St Mary’s, Inverness as assistant to Monsignor Robert. On behalf of the parishioners at St Mary’s, and also in Fort Augustus, Marydale and Stratherrick, I thank Father James for his priestly care of them; and for his loyal support offered to Monsignor Robert. I am appointing Father James Bell as Priest-in-Charge at Tain, Invergordon and Alness in succession to Father Savage. The official date of that appointment will be 1st June.
You will be aware that large numbers of people have arrived recently from Eastern Europe, the majority from Poland. Since August 2005 Father Czesław Józef Kolasa – Father Joe for short – has been living in central Scotland and travelling north at regular intervals to say Mass in Polish for them. However, he was sent to Scotland by his religious superiors with a view to living in our diocese and working with English-speaking parishioners as well as Polish. I have appointed Father Kolasa (Father Joe) as assistant at St Mary’s, Inverness. He will also work with the Polish speakers, and in that role he will be particularly responsible for Inverness and the surrounding areas from Forres to Tain. Father Joe will take up his appointment at St Mary’s in the course of the month of May.
Finally I want to thank, on your behalf and on behalf of many others, two retired priests whose help continues to be invaluable - Monsignor Basil Loftus, who lives away to the north in Sutherland, and Father Ronnie Walls, even more venerable than Monsignor Robert, who lives just next door to St Mary’s in Inverness. With their generous help we have usually managed to provide weekend Mass all through this area. Pray that this may continue, pray for your priests, and please pray for me.
+ Peter
Bishop of Aberdeen
21st April 2006
