Appointment of bishop of Galloway, Scotland

Erection of the diocese of Mafinga, Tanzania, and appointment of first bishop

Appointment of bishop of Galloway, Scotland

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Francis Dougan, of the clergy of the diocese of Motherwell, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes of East Kilbride, as bishop of the diocese of Galloway, Scotland.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Francis Dougan was born on 8 September 1972 in Lanark. After graduating in law, he was awarded a licentiate in canon law.

He received priestly ordination on 27 June 2001, and was incardinated in the diocese of Motherwell.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Our Lady and Saint Anne of Cadzow, Hamilton and chaplain of Holy Cross High School in Hamilton (2001-2006); vice rector of the Pontifical Scottish College in Rome (2006-2012); parish priest of Saint Mark and Saint Anthony in Rutherglen and chaplain of Trinity High School in Hamilton (2013-2021); since 2013, advisor at the Interdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal; since 2017, adjunct judicial vicar at the Interdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal and judicial vicar for the diocese of Motherwell; since 2021, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in East Kilbride, chaplain of Hairmyres General Hospital in East Kilbride, and chaplain at Saint Andrew’s and Saint Bride’s High School in East Kilbride.

Erection of the diocese of Mafinga, Tanzania, and appointment of first bishop

The Holy Father has erected the new diocese of Mafinga, Tanzania, by the dismemberment of the diocese of Iringa, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan see of Mbeya.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Vincent Cosmas Mwagala, of the clergy of the diocese of Iringa, vicar general and parish priest of Ifunda, as the first bishop of the newly-erected diocese of Mafinga, Tanzania.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Vincent Cosmas Mwagala was born on 11 December 1973 in Makungu, in the Iringa region. After attending the Saint Augustine Major Seminary of Peramiho, in the archdiocese of Songea, and the archepiscopal seminary of Agrigento, he was awarded a licentiate in pastoral theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sicily in Palermo, Italy.

He was ordained a priest on 11 July 2007 for the clergy of the diocese of Iringa.

He has held the following offices: deputy parish priest of San Gerlando in Lampedusa (2007-2011); parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima in Usokami (2011-2018); vicar for religious (since 2015); vicar general of the diocese of Iringa and parish priest of Virgin Mary Help of Christians in Ifunda (since 2018): and member of the College of Consultors (since 2019).

Statistical data

The newly-erected diocese of Mafinga [Latin name Mafingensis] was dismembered from the diocese of Iringa and made a suffragan of the metropolitan see of Mbeya. The see of the diocese is in the city of Mafinga. The Cathedral Church of the new ecclesiastical circumscription will be the current Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Mafinga.