Having reached 77 years of age, the Bishop of Kerry Dr Bill Murphy has said that he ”is ready to go.’’
After 18 years as Bishop, Dr Bill Murphy is very happy with his replacement and is looking forward to his retirement. Fr Ray Browne, a Parish Priest from the Diocese of Elphin is to be the new Bishop of Kerry, on the 21st July.
His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted Bishop Bill Murphy’s resignation as the Bishop of Kerry, and has appointed Fr Ray Browne as his successor.
Bishop Bill Murphy says he is very happy with the appointment, saying Fr Ray Browne brings a wide range of skills and experience to the role, and believes he will greatly benefit the church in the diocese of Kerry.
Bishop Murphy, who was ordained Bishop of Kerry in September 1995, announced his intention to retire in June 2011 on his 75th birthday, and is looking forward to spending his retirement reading and walking, and covering for priests who are sick or are on holidays.
So, it’s farewell and best wishes to Bishop Bill, and a extremely warm welcome to his successor Fr Ray Browne.
Make sure you tune in to Radio Kerry’s Horizons at 9am on Sunday 7th July for a full feature on Bishop Bill Murphy.
Biography of Bishop Bill Murphy
Born on June 6th, 1936 at Annaghmore, Glenflesk, Bishop Bill Murphy was educated at Ratheen National School and St. Brendan’s College, Killarney. He studied for the priesthood at Maynooth and was ordained a priest on the 18th June, 1961.
He taught for six years at St. Colman’s College, Newry and then studied catechetics at Lumen Vitae, Brussels, and Fordham University, New York where he was awarded an MA in Religious Education in 1969. He was Kerry Diocesan Advisor for Religious Education in primary schools for a year, before spending three years at the Gregorian University, Rome, being awarded a doctorate in divinity (DD) in 1973. For the next five years he worked with the ‘Primary Catechetical Commission’ preparing the Children of God series, the primary catechetical programme.
Bishop Bill taught theology in the Institute for Religious Education, Mount Oliver, Dundalk for a year before returning to Kerry in 1979 as diocesan director of religious education in post-primary schools and co-ordinator of adult religious education in the diocese.
He was the first director of the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Killarney. He became Curate of Killarney Parish in September 1987 and Administrator in 1988. On the death of Bishop Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin in August 1994, he was appointed Administrator of the diocese of Kerry and Bishop in June 1995. He was ordained Bishop on 10th September, 1995.