Ian Murray is the Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 Emeritus of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles

Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh....

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Early life

Murray is the eldest of the four children of John and Margaret Murray. He was educated at St. Machan's Primary School and St. Ninian's High School in Kirkintilloch

Kirkintilloch

Kirkintilloch is a town and former burgh in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the Forth and Clyde Canal, about eight miles northeast of central Glasgow...

 and the National Junior Seminary of St. Mary's College, Blairs, Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

.

Priesthood

He completed his studies at the Royal Scots College

Royal Scots College

The Royal Scots College is a Roman Catholic seminary in Salamanca, Spain for the church in Scotland. It was located originally at Madrid, then Valladolid, and then Salamanca .-History:...

 then in Valladolid

Valladolid

Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh

Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the Metropolitan see of the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, consisting of the additional suffragan sees of Aberdeen, Argyll and the Isles,...

 in the College Chapel on 17 March 1956 by Bishop Joseph McGee.

After ordination, Murray served in St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, St Kenneth's Lochore

Lochore

Lochore is a former mining village in Fife, Scotland. It takes its name from the nearby Loch Ore.It is largely joined to the adjacent villages of Ballingry to the north and Crosshill to the south.-Education:...

 and St Columba's Edinburgh.

Thereafter he returned to Valladolid as vice-rector of the college until 1970. When he came back to Scotland he took up the post of Catholic chaplain at the University of Stirling

University of Stirling

The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...

 where he remained until 1977. After that he served in Our Lady and St Bride's, Cowdenbeath

Cowdenbeath

Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...

 and St Ninian's, Restalrig

Restalrig

Restalrig is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located east of the city centre, west of the A199 road, and to the east of Lochend, with which it overlaps. Restalrig Road is the main route through the area, running from London Road at Jock's Lodge, to Leith Links at the south edge of...

.

From 1987 to 1994, Murray was Rector of the College in Valladolid and in Salamanca

Salamanca

Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...

 after its transfer to that city. On his return to Scotland he served in Galashiels

Galashiels

Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...

 and Falkirk

Falkirk

Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....

 and was appointed Vicar General

Vicar general

A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...

 of the diocese.

Episcopate

In 1999, Murray was nominated Bishop of Argyll and the Isles by Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 and ordained by Archbishop Keith Patrick O'Brien on 7 December that year.

On 16 October 2008, having reached 75, the age of retirement for a bishop, he submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

, who appointed Joseph Toal

Joseph Toal

Joseph Anthony Toal is a Roman Catholic bishop. He is the current Bishop of Argyll and the Isles in Scotland.Born in Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland on 13 October 1956, he was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles at St Columba's Cathedral in Oban on 10...

 to succeed him. In retirement Murray lives in Edinburgh.

Murray's motto is "Obedience gives strength" taken from the words of St Teresa of Avila who wrote, “When I was in Salamanca in 1571 the Lord said to me, 'Daughter, obedience gives strength'”.

External links

• http://www.rcdai.org.uk/pages/Biography-of-Bishop-Ian-Murray.html