My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The night of 28th May 2004 was perhaps the most memorable of my life so far. The occasion was, of course, my Episcopal ordination. People had come from all over this diocese and also from my former diocese of Paisley. That night Good Shepherd Church looked every inch a cathedral.
The following Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, and I was present again in Good Shepherd parish for the annual Neophytes’ Mass (the special Mass for those who had been baptised or received into full communion at Easter that year). Apart from the Neophytes themselves and a few of their relations and friends, there was no congregation to speak of and the church looked bare and empty.
Sadly, in the course of my time here as your bishop, Good Shepherd Church has only been well attended for the annual Chrism Mass and for the Carol Service before Christmas each year. In fact the average attendance at Sunday Mass has been less than one hundred. In addition to this, the fabric of the church has been deteriorating rapidly. I had a survey carried out recently and was informed that it would cost in the region of £200,000 to effect basic repairs, and warned that some of the problems would return as they were due to design faults in the church. There has also been the recurring problem of vandalism to the church and house and Fr. McGee has been constantly under pressure because of the circumstances in which he has to live.
My predecessor, Bishop Maurice Taylor, felt constrained to petition the Holy See for permission to transfer his Cathedra from Good Shepherd parish to that of St. Margaret’s, Ayr, which is the mother church of the area, having been in existence since 1822. He was told that, since he was about to retire, such a decision should be left to his successor.
Having been here now for some two years and nine months, I have come to the same conclusion as Bishop Taylor. Accordingly, at the end of last year, I formally petitioned the Holy Father for permission to transfer my Cathedra from Good Shepherd to St. Margaret’s, Ayr. I have now received an official reply from Rome, to the effect that the Holy Father has graciously acceded to my request. An official announcement was made in Rome on 28th February, and the changeover becomes effective as from that date.
However, the closure of Good Shepherd church, and the formal dedication of St. Margaret’s as a Cathedral, will take some time to arrange, and things will continue as normal in the meantime. The Chrism Mass will take place in Good Shepherd for the last time on the Tuesday of Holy Week this year.
This decision has not been an easy one for me to take – to close the church in which I was ordained bishop. However, I did not feel that there was any reasonable alternative.
I would ask you all to remember me in your prayers, as I will you in mine.
I am,
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Rt. Rev. John Cunningham
Bishop of Galloway