Bishop of Raphoe Niall Coll welcomes the new Bishop of Derry
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Cavan native Bishop Router will succeed Bishop Dónal McKeown, who was appointed Bishop-elect of Derry by the late Pope Francis in 2014
The Bishop of Raphoe, the Most Rev Dr Niall Coll, has welcomed the new Bishop of Derry, Bishop Michael Router, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh.
Cavan native Bishop Router will succeed Bishop Dónal McKeown, who was appointed Bishop-elect of Derry by the late Pope Francis in 2014.
“On behalf of the people, religious and clergy of the Diocese of Raphoe, I would like to extend our good wishes to Bishop Michael Router on his appointment by Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the neighbouring Diocese of Derry,” Bishop Coll said.
“We would like to assure him of our prayers as he prepares to take up his new ministry. On a personal level, I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Bishop Donal McKeown well as he looks forward to retirement and a new chapter in his life of priestly service.”
Speaking in Derry on Thursday, Bishop Michael Router said: “I come here to Saint Eugene’s Cathedral today, on this Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in humility and hope. It is an immense honour to have been nominated by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to serve as Bishop of Derry. I thank the Holy Father sincerely for the trust he has placed in me, a trust that I receive with a deep awareness of my own limitations.”