Donal McKeown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | The Diocese of Down and Connor |
| Title | Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor |
| Period in office | 2001 - present |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Religious career | |
| Priestly ordination | 29 April 1956 |
| Previous bishoprics | Cell Ausaille (titular) |
| Previous post | President of St Malachy's College |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | 12 April 1950 |
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Donal McKeown, B.A., S.T.L., D.D. is the Catholic titular Bishop of Cell Ausaille and Auxiliary Bishop in The Diocese of Down and Connor. He was born on 12 April 1950 in Belfast and baptised in St. Patrick's Church in Donegall Street, though his childhood was spent in Randalstown, Co. Antrim.
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[edit] Early career
He was educated at Mount St Michael’s Primary School and St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower where he was a boarder from 1961 - 1968. He completed his O-Levels and A-Levels with special distinction in Modern Languages. Two of his teachers where his future brother Bishops, Fr Anthony Farquhar and Fr Patrick Walsh.
He entered the Diocesan Seminary, Saint Malachy’s College, in 1968, and studied at Queen’s University, Belfast, where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree with Honors in German and Italian. From 1972 to 1973 he taught English at a school in Germany. Then from 1973 to 1977 he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, obtaining the degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
After Ordination to the Priesthood in 1977, he was chaplain at Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast (1977–78) and then began a successful 20 year career as a Teacher. He was appointed to teach Religious Education, German and French at St. Patrick's College, Knock (1978–83) while assisting at the same time in the parish of Derriaghy.
He continued his involvement with youth programme and is credited as the founder of the Diocesan Lourdes Youth Team in 1982. In 1983 he was appointed to his alma mater St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower.
Bishop Cahal Daly then appointed him to teach full-time at St. Malachy's College, Belfast in 1987 and also to be in charge as Dean of the Seminary which is situtated in St Malachy's.. In 1995 he succeeded Canon Noel Conway as President of St. Malachy's College.
As a teacher he enjoyed favour with most of his pupils earing him such nicknames as Da Wizz and Dicky Donal. He had a reputation for having a relaxed and personable attitude with staff and students alike. He ran in the Belfast Marathon in an attempt to raise money for a minibus for St Malachy's.
While in the post of President, Fr McKeown continued his own education, taking a Masters Degree in Business Administration specialising in educational management.
[edit] Auxiliary Bishop of Down & Connor
On the 22 February 2001, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Cell Ausaille and Auxiliary Bishop in The Diocese of Down and Connor. His Episcopal Motto is 'Veritas in Caritate', the truth in love.
The Episcopal Ordination of Dr McKeown took place in Saint Peter's Cathedral, Belfast. Patrick Walsh, Bishop of Down and Connor, was the Principal Consecrator. He was assisted by Dr Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland and Dr Anthony Farquhar, Auxiliary Bishop in Down and Connor.
Bishop Walsh said during the homily that the consecration of his new auxiliary was an historic occasion. He said, '"In fact you make history as you are the first bishop to be ordained for an Irish diocese in this millennium".
The Ordination Mass was celebrated in the presence of Cahal Cardinal Daly, Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh, Desmond Cardinal Connell, Archbishop of Dublin and Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
He is currently a member of the Irish Bishops Conference. He is a member of its Committee on Education and Chairman of the Vocations and Youth Committee.
He led the Diocese Youth to World Youth Day in 2005.
He was one of the Bishops who travelled to Rome for their Quinquennial Visit Ad Limina visit in October 2006.
He is a regular contributor on the BBC Radio Ulster Thought for the Day programme.
In addition to English and Irish, Bishop McKeown can speak fluently German, Italian, French and a little Polish. He is currently learning Russian.
[edit] Controversy
The inclusion of his name as a possible successor to Dr Patrick Walsh, as Bishop of Down and Connor, in an article in the Belfast newspaper, The Irish News, led to debate on the Slugger O'Toole website (see reference below). On 28 March 2007, the BBC journalist, William Crawley, reported on his blog that some Down and Connor priests have expressed concern about the existence of an alleged "Stop Donal Campaign". (See reference below.) On Tuesday 10 April 2007, the Irish Times religion correspondent Patsy McGarry published a story entitled "'Stop Donal' campaign aims to block bishop from filling post".
