Scottish Catholic Observer

Last weekend, the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh saw three of its best-known and loved priests retire: Mgr Alistair Lawson, Canon William Conway and Fr Joseph Millar SPS.

“I would like to extend a very sincere word of gratitude to all three men as they approach their retirement after many good years of service to the Archdiocese,” Archbishop Leo Cushley said. “All three of them deserve our gratitude and our prayers and we wish them very well as they look forward to what we hope will be many happy years of retirement.”

Mgr Lawson retires after serving as a priest for 50 years, being ordained to the priesthood in 1966. Throughout his life he has served at St Matthew’s Church, Rosewell; St Mary’s Church, Stirling; St Peter’s Church, Edinburgh; St Mary’s Church, West Calder; and St Mary’s and St Columba’s in Bathgate, where has been for the past 19 years.

He also worked for five years as chaplain and a teacher at St Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian, and most recently served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese.

Canon Conway was ordained in 1968, and has served the parishes of St Francis Xavier’s, Falkirk; Immaculate Conception, Jedburgh; St Margaret’s, Loanhead; St Catherine’s, Edinburgh; St Alexander’s, Denny; and, most recently as parish priest of St Machan’s, Lennoxtown since 1994 during his time as a priest. Canon Conway was also on the seminary staff at St Andrew’s College in Drygrange, Roxburghshire, and Gillis College, Edinburgh, from 1973 and 1987.

Fr Millar was ordained in 1974 for the St Patrick’s Missionary Society, or the Kiltegan Fathers.

He spent the first decade of his years as a priest as a missionary in Malawi, and then between 1998-1999 in South Africa, and also spent several years on the staff at the Kiltegan Father’s seminary in Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire from 1978-1982 and 1991-1997, and at his order’s East Molesley administration, Surrey, from 1999-2004.

In the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, he has served in the parishes of St Mary’s, Bathgate, St Francis Xavier’s, Falkirk and, has been in St Margaret of Scotland and Holy Spirit parishes, Stirling, for the past 12 years.

The following clergy changes were also announced.

The Right Reverend Monsignor Allan Chambers VG, Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Bathgate;

The Reverend Andrew Garden, Administrator of St David’s, Dalkeith and St Luke & St Anne’s, Mayfield;

The Reverend Jamie McMorrin, Assistant Priest of St Francis Xavier’s, Falkirk, St Anthony’s, Polmont and Our Lady of the Angels, Camelon;

The Reverend Michael Adebanjo, Administrator of St Margaret’s & Holy Spirit parishes, Stirling;

The Reverend Simon Hughes, Parish Priest of St Peter’s, Carmondean;

The Reverend Paul Lee, Administrator of St Agatha’s, Methil and St Giles’, Kennoway;

The Reverend Tony Lappin, Assistant Priest of St Andrew’s, Craigshill, St Theresa’s, East Calder and St Philip’s, Dedridge;

The Reverend Peter Krakowiak SAC, Assistant Priest of St Andrew’s, Craigshill, St Theresa’s, East Calder and St Philip’s, Dedridge;

The Reverend Jeremy Milne, Administrator of Our Lady & St Joseph’s, Selkirk, while remaining Administrator at SS. Mary & David’s, Hawick;

The Reverend Hugh Purcell, Parish Priest at St Mary’s, Kelso and the Immaculate Conception, Jedburgh;

The Reverend Syriac Palakudiyil OFMCap., Administrator at SS. Ninian & Triduana’s, Restalrig;

The Reverend John Deighan, Parish Priest at St Machan’s, Lennoxtown, St Paul’s, Milton of Campsie and St Dominic’s, Torrance;

The Reverend Anthony Caruana, Parish Priest at St John Vianney’s, Gilmerton and St Gregory’s, The Inch.