Retiring Bishop Reflects on Life of Service, Community Connection
Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry looks back on 49 years as a priest and bishop, citing community strength and personal fulfillment despite the absence of marriage and family.
Retiring Catholic Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, is preparing for a new chapter after 49 years of service, reflecting on his time as a bishop and the personal fulfillment he found, even while acknowledging a desire for marriage and family.
Bishop McKeown, who has served as bishop for 25 years, including the last 12 in Derry, will preside over his final Mass on Sunday. He will be succeeded by Bishop Michael Router. At 76, McKeown anticipates a significant adjustment to retirement, noting that a fellow bishop told him it took three years for the physical tiredness of leadership to subside.
"My day is full of meetings, events, a lot of timings and places I need to be," McKeown told BBC Radio Foyle. "Retirement does bring with it a relief not to be in charge anymore, but I also now have to get a sense of who I am away from being in a position of leadership."
Despite the demands of his role, McKeown described the community of Derry as "marvellous, with wonderful, welcoming people." He highlighted the community's strength in coming together during difficult times, referencing the deaths of Lyra McKee, John Hume, Martin McGuinness, and Seamus Heaney as examples. He also spoke of the personal satisfaction derived from his interactions with the public.
"I like walking the streets of Derry and I am often stopped by people asking for prayers and confessions," he said.
Cross-Border Merger Considerations
The Catholic Diocese of Derry spans multiple counties and extends into County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. The Vatican has considered a potential merger of the Derry and Raphoe dioceses, a prospect that has raised concerns among church leaders, including McKeown. He noted that while the idea has not been dismissed by Rome, a decision remains distant. McKeown pointed out the logistical challenges, such as differing charity registrations in Dublin and Belfast, but acknowledged the geographical logic of such a merger.
A Life of Vocation
McKeown, who also chairs the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, acknowledged that maintaining the energy for leadership at 76 is demanding. "It is different to what it was 20 years ago," he stated. He expressed gratitude for the relief from the pressure of decision-making and a sense of peace with his chosen path.
"I am very happy with the choices I made and my vocation in life," he said. "I would have loved to have been married. I think I wouldn't have been a bad husband, bad daddy or grandfather but that was not my vocation and I'm perfectly happy with that. I have made mistakes, but I have been blessed to be a priest and a bishop over the past 49 years."
Reflecting on his career, McKeown expressed hope that he has "done some good and laid some foundations for others to build on." He concluded, "We just pass on the baton to someone else. I look back only with gratitude."