Diocese of Raphoe Dioecesis Rapotensis Deoise Ráth Bhoth | |
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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 | Sede Vacante |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Eamon Martin |
Apostolic Administrator | Monsignor Kevin Gillespie |
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.
The bishopric covers most of County Donegal apart from the Inishowen peninsula in the north of the county and Bundoran in the South. 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.