His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed the Very Reverend Thomas Deenihan (a priest of the Diocese of Cork & Ross) as the new Bishop of Meath. This news of the appointment will be made public at 12.00 noon today in the Vatican (11.00am Irish time).
There will be a photocall opportunity with Bishop-elect Deenihan this morning following the celebration of 10.00am Mass in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar. His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, and Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath and Canon Deenihan will concelebrate this Mass.
Please see below brief biographical details for Bishop-elect Deenihan.
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Notes to Editors
- The Diocese of Meath
Bishop Michael Smith was consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Meath in 1984, and was appointed Bishop of Meath on 16 May 1990. The Diocese of Meath includes the greater part of counties Meath, Westmeath and Offaly, and a portion of counties Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan. There are 69 parishes in the Diocese of Meath and the patron saint is Saint Finian.
- Brief biography
Bishop-elect Tom Deenihan was born in the parish of Blackpool in Cork city on 20 June 1967. He attended the North Monastery Christian Brothers School in the city. After completing post-primary education, he studied in the national seminary of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Bishop-elect Deenihan was ordained a deacon by Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, in Maynooth on 1 April 1990. On 1 June 1991 he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cork & Ross by the late Bishop Michael Murphy.
Since Ordination, Bishop-elect Deenihan worked in Glanmire Parish (1991-1994), taught in Saint Goban’s College Bantry (1994-2003) during which time he also worked in the parishes of Schull, Kealkil and Bantry. During that time also he undertook a Masters and Doctoral Degree in Education. In 2003, Bishop John Buckley, Bishop of Cork & Ross, appointed him as Diocesan Advisor for Post-Primary Catechetics and, in 2006, as Diocesan Secretary and Diocesan Education Secretary. He currently hold these positions.
On a national level, Bishop-elect Deenihan served as General Secretary of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association from 2013 to 2016, and as acting-executive secretary to the Council for Education and to the Commission for Catholic Education and Formation of the Irish Episcopal Conference from 2016 to date.
Bishop-elect Deenihan is a member of: the Honan Governors at University College Cork; a member of Mercy Care South, a Diocesan Public Juridic Person for the Mercy University Hospital in Cork; and is chair of the Board of Directors of the Christian Leadership in Education Office. In 2017 Bishop Buckley appointed him a Canon and a member of the Cathedral Chapter in Cork.
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For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Emma Sisk 00353 (0) 86 145 6694
