To the Priests of the Archdiocese of Tuam
17th April 2024
Dear Father,
As you may be aware, last week, upon the retirement of Bishop John Fleming, Pope Francis
appointed me as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Killala.
Firstly, I thank the members of our Diocesan Pastoral Council, our Council of Priests and
those who are familiar with various aspects of diocesan work, for their participation in the
consultations carried out by the Apostolic Nuncio as the future configuration of dioceses in
this province was being considered.
During the consultation process it became clear to me that our dioceses have more in
common than we might have realised. What really shone through for me was the
understanding that the proposed union between Tuam and Killala would allow each diocese
to be enriched by the heritage and culture and the variety of practices brought by the other.
I am excited about the opportunities that this process presents, and I look forward to working
with both Tuam and Killala in preparing our dioceses for formal union by the Holy See in the
not-too-distant future. This is an an opportunity for us to look to the future with great hope
and to enthusiastically follow the synodal pathway as promoted by Pope Francis.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our steps.
Yours sincerely,
+ Francis Duffy
Apostolic Administrator of Killala
Archbishop of Tuam