Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe

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

Diocese of Raphoe Dioecesis Rapotensis Deoise Ráth Bhoth
The Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, Letterkenny, the episcopal seat of the bishops of Raphoe
Location
Country	Ireland
Territory	Most of County Donegal
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Armagh
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Armagh
Statistics
Area	1,556 sq mi (4,030 km2)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 90,700 82,600 (91.1%)
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1111
Cathedral	Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, Letterkenny
Patron saint	St Eunan and St Columba
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Alan McGuckian
Metropolitan Archbishop	Eamon Martin
Vicar General	Frs Michael McKeever, Francis McLoone
Bishops emeritus	Philip Boyce
Map
Website
raphoediocese.ie

The Diocese of Raphoe (/rəˈfoʊ/ rə-FOH; Latin: Dioecesis Rapotensis; 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

• 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

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

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), OP (1253.10 – 1261.11.05), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1261.11.05 – death 1270.03.16)
• Giovanni de Alneto, OFM (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, OCist (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, OFM (1737–1749)
• Anthony O'Donnell, OFM (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)
  • Coadjutor Bishop: Fr. John McElvoy (1801.01.30 – 1801.09.20)
• 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, OCD (1995– 2017.06.09)
• Alan McGuckian, SJ (2017.06.09 – ...)

See also

• Catholic Church in Ireland
• List of Catholic dioceses in Ireland
• Sexual abuse scandal in Raphoe diocese
• Anglican counterpart Diocese of Derry and Raphoe (Church of Ireland)

References

External links

• Diocese of Raphoe (Official website)
• GCatholic.org, with Google map – data for all sections
• Diocese of Raphoe (Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference)
• Diocese of Raphoe (Catholic-Hierarchy website)
• Raphoe: Profile of the diocese (CatholicCity.com, from Catholic Encyclopedia)

This page was last edited on 31 March 2024, at 11:16