Pope Francis has appointed Bishop William Nolan as Archbishop of Glasgow, and he will take up the role later this month.
Reacting to the announcement, Bishop Nolan said: “I feel overwhelmed by the trust Pope Francis is putting in me by appointing me as Archbishop of Glasgow.
“It will be a wrench for me to leave Galloway Diocese where for seven years I have experienced the kindness and friendship of so many people, particularly the clergy.
“God truly blessed me by sending me to Galloway and I hope that my successor there will be similarly blessed.”
Looking to the future, he said: “As I overcome my initial shock at being appointed Archbishop, my thoughts now turn to the challenges that lies ahead.
“I look forward to working with everyone in the Archdiocese, laity and clergy, to carry out the mission that we share of proclaiming God’s good news and of bringing the joy of the gospel into the lives of the people of today.”
Bishop Nolan added: “I am well aware of my own inadequacies and of the difficulties the church faces today.
“Thank God, therefore, that we can be sure of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the church.
“As I leave the Diocese of Galloway behind, from now on I belong to Glasgow.”
Archbishop-elect Nolan was born in Wishaw on January 26 1954, the fourth of 11 children to William and Catherine Nolan.
His senior seminary formation was at the Pontifical Scots College, Rome (1971-78) where he graduated with a Licence in Sacred Theology.
He was nominated as Bishop of Galloway in November 2014, by Pope Francis, and consecrated in the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock on February 14 2015.
The Holy Father Francis named him Archbishop of Glasgow last Friday, and he will be installed as successor of St Mungo in St Andrew’s Cathedral on February 26.
Commenting on the appointment, Fr William McFadden, Vicar General of the Diocese of Galloway, said: “As Bishop of Galloway, Bishop Nolan presented a pastoral vision with a genuinely collaborative approach.
“He led with humility and determination, inspired by the initiatives of Pope Francis, and focussing on the needs of the church for the 21st century.
“This appointment will allow him to serve both the people of Glasgow and the wider church with the same abilities with which he served us in Galloway for seven valuable years.
“We will miss him, but appreciate greatly the contribution which he made, and the legacy which he leaves.”
