March 10 | 
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Irvine to be served by just one priest from September
The Ayrshire town of Irvine, population 33,000, is to be served by a single priest managing its two parishes of St John Ogilvie and St Mary’s.
The Galloway Diocese changes will see Fr Duncan McVicar leave St John Ogilvie Church and move to St Peter’s in chains, Ardrossan, in September but Bishop William Nolan assured parishioners the former would not be closing.
A statement in the parish bulletin last weekend confirmed the proposed changes prompting concern about the future of the Church.
“It is important that people remember Fr McVicar was only appointed as an administrator to St John Ogilvie and therefore it was only ever a temporary measure until a solution was found,” Bishop Nolan of Galloway said this week. “The parish of St John Ogilvie won’t be closing. I want to assure the parishioners of that; it was never our intention for that to happen. It is well documented that there is a shortage of priests but I understand from my meetings with St John Ogilvie parish council that there is an enthusiastic lay community and a vibrant parish in Bourtreehill.”
The SCO understands that in September both Catholic churches in Irvine will be linked together with the one priest, however it is predicted that there will be a revised timetable of masses across the seven day period.
Galloway Diocese is losing Cannon Matt McManus from Ardrossan due to retirement and is expecting to lose Fr Ben Lodge from Hurlford and Galston in July 2017, when he is recalled by the Passionist Order, increasing the shortage of priests in the area.
—This story ran in full in the March 10 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.
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