Pope Francis: new Bishop for Montego Bay, Jamaica

(Vatican Radio) The Holy Father on Thursday nominated Father Burchell Alexander McPherson, until now Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Kingston, as Bishop of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The Bishop-elect was born in Mavis Bank-St. Andrew in the Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica, on 7 May 1951. After elementary school at Hall’s Delight, he attended high school at St. George’s College evening Extension. In 1976, at the age of 25, he converted to Catholicism. He took part in associations for Catholic youth, and was named Lay Administrator of the parish of St. Pius X. In 1986 he was ordained a permanent Deacon, and, in 1988, entered the St. Michael’s Major Seminary. On 23 June 1991 he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Kingston.

Since his ordination, Father McPherson has held the following positions:

1991-2007: Pastor of the large, but poor parishes of St. Pius X and St. Peter Claver in Kingston,
From 1998: Named a member of the College of Consultors
From 2004: Appointed director of the important Foundation Food for the Poor in Jamaica, and a member of its administrative council
From 2007: Pastor of the parish of St. Peter and Paul and the Mission of St. Martin de Porres in Kingston.

The Diocese of Montego Bay (established in 1967, a suffragen of the Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica, has an area of 3,878 square kilometres and a population of 640,000 people, of whom 10,000 are Catholic. There are 14 priests serving in the diocese (11 diocesan and 3 religious), along with 13 permanent Deacons, 2 religious Brothers, 12 Sisters, and one seminarian.

The Diocese of Montego Bay has been vacant since the former Ordinary, Bishop Charles Henry Dufour was transferred to the Metropolitan See of Kingston in 2011.