Priests on the move as part of Derry Diocesan clerical changes

The Bishop of Derry, Bishop Donal McKeown, has this weekend announced a list of clerical changes which will take effect fron next Friday, August 21. A total of 20 priests in Derry city and county, Inishowen and Tyrone are affected by the changes.
Bishop Donal McKeownBishop Donal McKeown
Bishop Donal McKeown

Three of the diocese’s most senior priests, Fr. Brian McGoldrick, PP Urney and Castlefin, Fr. James McGonagle, PP Culdaff and Vicar Forane for the Inishowen Deanery and Fr. George Doherty as CC Desertegney and Lower Fahan are to retire from ministry after all serving more than 50 years as priests.

The fill list of changes is as follows - Fr. Brian Brady, PP Errigal, to be PP Clonmany and PP Culdaff, residing in Clonmany, as well as Vicar Forane for the Inishowen Deanery;

Fr. Eugene Hasson, PP Greencastle, to be PP Lavey (Termoneeny) and PP Greenlough, residing in Lavey;

Fr. Brian Donnelly, PP Badoney Upper, to be, in addition, PP Ardstraw East (Newtownstewart), residing in Badoney Upper;

Fr. Peter Madden, PP Desertmartin, to be, in addition, PP Ballinascreen, residing in Ballinascreen;

Fr. Seamus Kelly, PP Ballinascreen, to be PP Dungiven;

Fr. Fintan Diggin, PP Clonmany, to be PP Errigal;

Fr. Eamon Graham, PP Banagher, to be Administrator Templemore (Long Tower);

Fr. Michael Porter, PP Leckpatrick, to be PP Urney and Castlefin;

Fr. Patrick Baker, PP Lavey (Termoneeny), to be PP Banagher;

Fr. Gerard Sweeney, PP Ardstraw East (Newtownstewart), to be PP Leckpatrick;

Fr. Edward Gallagher, Administrator Templemore (Long Tower) to be PP Greencastle;

Fr. Aidan Mullan, PP Dungiven, to retire as Parish Priest and become CC Three Patrons;

Fr. Oliver Crilly, PP Greenlough, to retire as Parish Priest and become Priest-in-Residence Urney and Castlefin;

Fr. Brian McGoldrick, PP Urney and Castlefin, to retire;

Fr. James McGonagle, PP Culdaff and Vicar Forane for the Inishowen Deanery, to retire;

Fr. Paul Fraser, returning from Arundel and Brighton, to be CC Creggan;

Fr. Dermott Harkin, CC Ardstraw West and Castlederg, to be CC Lavey and CC Greenlough, residing in Greenlough;

Fr. Roland Colhoun, CC Glendermott and CC Strathfoyle, to be CC Badoney Upper and CC Ardstraw East (Newtownstewart), residing in Ardstraw East (Newtownstewart);

Fr. James McGrory, Judicial Vicar of the Armagh Regional Marriage Tribunal, to be CC Clonmany and CC Culdaff, residing in Culdaff;

Fr. Seán O’Donnell, newly ordained, to be CC Glendermott and CC Strathfoyle;

Fr. Francis Lynch OP, on loan to the Diocese of Derry and currently CC Urney and Castlefin, to be CC Ballinascreen and CC Desertmartin, residing in Desertmartin.

The Bishop of Derry, Bishop Donal McKeown, has also announced the recent retirement of Fr. George Doherty as CC Desertegney and Lower Fahan.