Pope appoints bishop of Elphin, Ireland

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Kevin Doran bishop of the diocese of Elphin, Ireland. Bishop-elect Doran succeeds Bishop Christopher Jones in the pastoral care of the diocese on the western coast of Ireland.

Bishop-elect Kevin Doran was born in Dublin June 26, 1953. He studied for the priesthood at Mater Dei College in Dublin and at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. He was ordained a priest July 6, 1977 for the Archdiocese of Dublin.

After his ordination, he taught in a school in Ringsend, Dublin ( 1977-1983). From 1980 to 1983 he served in the diocesan Secretariat for Education. In 1983 he was appointed University Chaplain. In 1990 he returned to Rome, earning a doctorate in philosophy at the Angelicum and at the same time was appointed Spiritual Director at the Irish College .

On returning to Ireland he was Parochial Vicar at Foxrock (1995-1998), director of the diocesan, later national Commission for Vocations (1998-2006), pastor of Glendalough (2005-2009) , and finally, Secretary General of the Preparatory Committee of 50th International Eucharistic Congress (2008-2012) .

To date he has also served as Director for the Formation of Permanent Deacons (since 2007) , Secretary of the Commission of the Bishops' Conference on Bioethics (1996) , Member of the Management Committee Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin and Consultant to the Congregation for Catholic Education .

Since 2013, he had been serving in Sacred Heart Parish, Donnybrook in Dublin .