St. Johnston-native Bishop Niall Coll returns to native Donegal as new Bishop of Raphoe

At a celebratory Mass in St. Eunan’s Cathedral on Thursday last the St. Johnston-native noted he was returning to the diocese where he was born, baptised and ordained.

"To be called back to the place and people who first formed my faith is both humbling and deeply moving.

“From my earliest days the faith and love I experienced in my family home have shaped every step of my journey. I think today with special affection of my mother Kathleen whose love and deep faith continues to be a source of strength and encouragement and of my late father Willie, whose example of quiet integrity, humour and trust in God left a mark that remains with me always,” he said.

The new Bishop also referred to the constant love and support of his siblings, his wider family and friends. He reflected too on the Raphoe diocese’s deep roots.

“It is the land of Columba/Colmcille, Eunan and so many holy men and women who across generations lived their faith with perseverance and courage.

"The rugged landscape of Donegal has shaped a faith that is resilient and steadfast, a faith that carried families through persecution, famine and emigration, that sustained parishes through hardship and change, that built schools, churches, monasteries and communities where Christ was known and loved.

"That same faith endures today though it faces new and very different challenges,” he told a congregation that included Bishop Emeritus of Raphoe Philip Boyce and Monsignor Kevin Gillespie, outgoing Diocesan Administrator.

Bishop Coll noted the diocese was living through a ‘time of profound change’.

"We are no longer at the centre of public life in the way the church once was. Many people who once found their identity naturally in the life of the parish now find it elsewhere. Patterns of belief and belonging have shifted.

“The number of priests continues to decline and we feel this particularly in our small, rural communities, where the priest's presence has long been interwoven with local life,” he said.

He described these as real challenges but reflected, ‘I truly believe that this moment can also be a time of grace’.

"The church is being invited, even compelled, to rediscover what it means to be the people of God.

“At a national level the church in Ireland is reflecting deeply on its future, on how parishes and dioceses might be reorganised, how we can best sustain pastoral life and how faith might be handed on in a more secular world.

“These conversations can stir anxiety but they are also an opportunity to imagine how the deep and ancient faith of Ireland might take root afresh in our times,” he declared.

Prior to his appointment Bishop Coll served as Bishop of Ossory from 2023.

The Bishop of Derry Dr. Dónal McKeown said he looked forward to working with his new neighbouring prelate.

“The Diocese of Raphoe and the Diocese of Derry are linked through the sharing of County Donegal and by our shared patron, St. Colmcille.

"In this Jubilee Year of Hope, this is an appointment which marks a new chapter in the diocesan journey of faith,” said Dr. McKeown.

Archbishop Eamon Martin said: “Having been ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Raphoe in 1988, Bishop Niall is now returning home to the diocese as bishop.

"Bishop Niall has been a much loved pastor and shepherd in the Diocese of Ossory, and no doubt his appointment back to Donegal will come as a disappointment to the priests and people of Kilkenny and Laois, where he was ordained as Bishop of Ossory in January 2023.”

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt. Rev Andrew Forster, said: “As a son of the diocese, Bishop Niall is acutely aware of the sense of history surrounding his appointment, as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of St. Columba and St. Eunan.

“Bishop Niall is a man of profound faith and deep humility, and has shown great leadership in building relations with other denominations.”

Bishop Coll was born in 1963, the eldest of four children, to Willie and Kathleen Coll, of St. Johnston.

He attended St. Baithin’s NS and St. Eunan’s College. In September 1981 he entered St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Geography in 1984, and a Bachelor Degree in Divinity in 1987. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Séamus Hegarty for the Diocese of Raphoe in 1988.

His pastoral career has included several appointments in his native Donegal.

In 1989, having completed his studies, he was appointed to St. Eunan’s College as chaplain and teacher.

After periods in Dublin, Rome and Carlow he returned to the Raphoe Diocese in 1998 as both chaplain in Pobalscoil na Rossan and curate in the parish of Dungloe.

And in 2020 he returned to the Raphoe Diocese again as parish priest of Drumholm (Ballintra and Laghey), and a year later was transferred to the neighbouring parish of Tawnawilly (Donegal Town and Clar).

Bishop McKeown said: “At this time when we are called to renewal and conversion, Bishop Coll brings a very wide range of skills and experience.

"Bishop Coll will also be a blessing to the wider Catholic Church in this part of the island. His deep commitment to education and ecumenical dialogue will enable the Church in Ireland to continue its contribution to the Common Good.”

Archbishop Martin said: “Bishop Niall’s pastoral leadership has been evident in his work with other churches, his public interventions on Church/State history and relations, and his all-island perspectives on effectively serving the common good.”

The Primate of All-Ireland concluded by paying tribute to Monsignor Gillespie who has now stepped down.

"I offer my prayerful good wishes to Monsignor Kevin for his future ministry, and look forward to our continued friendship,” he said.