by BILL HEANEY
Scotland’s Catholic bishops have been asked by the Vatican to consult with clergy and congregations to consider how the current diocesan structures can best serve the Church in years to come.
Most of Dunbartonshire is at present within the Archdiocese of Glasgow, from Clydebank to Rosneath and Arrochar, taking in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh.
Word in the cloisters is that it will remain that way for local Catholics, but with Argyll and the Isles and possibly even Paisley Diocese being included in future in Glasgow.
A ferry passing St Columba’s Cathedral in Oban on its way to the Isles. Picture by Bill Heaney.
Archbishop William Nolan explained: “This is not simply a question of boundaries, administrative adjustments or the sharing of resources more effectively.
“Primarily it is about how we can better proclaim the Gospel, support our clergy, religious and lay people, and strengthen our parishes and communities for evangelisation.”
Archbishop Nolan added: “As part of this discernment, and informed by the diocesan feedback summaries, we considered a range of possible configurations”
The following options are now on the table “for further reflection and consultation” across all eight Scottish dioceses:
1. Argyll & the Isles and Paisley merge
2. Argyll & the Isles and Glasgow merge
3. Paisley and Galloway merge
4. Galloway and Motherwell merge
5. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Dunkeld merge
6. Motherwell, Paisley and Galloway merge
7. Maintain the current diocesan structures but with greater sharing and collaboration
The Bishops’ Conference has made it clear that these are possibilities for further discernment, not decisions or an agreed map for the future.
Their official statement says: “As your bishops, we recognise that dioceses are communities of faith with their own histories, relationships and traditions.
“Any change must therefore be approached with prayer, sensitivity and care for the people and communities involved.
“Synodal discernment also asks each of us to look beyond our own self-interests and to consider what will best serve the Catholic Church in Scotland as a whole.
“Everyone in every parish is encouraged to make their voice heard when opportunities for consultation are announced locally by their diocesan bishop.”
It added: “Information packs will be made available in each diocese to support this next phase. These will provide an opportunity to learn more about each of Scotland’s eight dioceses, including important statistics and demographic information, so that the consultation can be informed by a fuller picture of Catholic life across the country. The fruits of the consultation will help us to formulate a concrete proposal to the Holy See.”
The statement revealed that, for completeness, the following options were considered but rejected and will 𝗻𝗼𝘁 be taken forward:
1. Split Aberdeen at the Great Glen. Argyll and the Isles to merge with the territory north of the Great Glen and Dunkeld to merge with the territory south of the Great Glen.
2. Dunkeld and Aberdeen merge
3. Argyll & the Isles and Aberdeen merge
4. Argyll & the Isles and Dunkeld merge
5. Glasgow, Motherwell and Paisley merge
6. Glasgow and Paisley merge
7. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Galloway merge
8. Glasgow, Paisley and Argyll and the Isles merge
The bishops added: “Finally, we encourage everyone to actively engage in this process, and to keep this central question at the heart of our prayer and reflection:
“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚?”
+ 𝗟𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘆, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh; + 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻, Archbishop of Glasgow; + 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝗹, Bishop of Motherwell; + 𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗦𝗕, Bishop of Aberdeen; + 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻, Bishop of Paisley; + 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗚𝗲𝗲, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles; + 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻, Bishop of Galloway; + 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲, Bishop of Dunkeld
Top of page picture caption, left to right: Bishops Keenan and Dougan, Archbishop Cushley, Bishop Toal, Bishop Gilbert, Bishop McKenzie, Archbishop Nolan and Bishop McGee.
7. Maintain the current diocesan structures but with greater sharing and collaboration