SCOTLAND’S newest bishop, Canon Andrew McKenzie, has shared his heartfelt reaction upon learning he would be leaving St Andrew’s Cathedral to become Bishop of Dunkeld.
Canon McKenzie recalled receiving an unexpected Saturday morning phone call from the Apostolic Nunciature in London, inviting him to meet with the Nuncio, Spanish Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia.
“When a priest is called to the Nunciature it is either to be made a bishop or to be excommunicated,” the Nuncio told him. “You will be glad to know it’s the former and not the latter!” reported Flourish.
Following this news, Canon Andrew was informed that the Holy Father had appointed him Bishop of Dunkeld. He was then invited to pray in the Nuncio’s oratory and to write a letter to the Pope accepting the nomination.
“It was a shock,” said the Cathedral-based priest. “I never foresaw it and that sense of shock has stayed with me. But I’m also excited at the challenge, if a little daunted too,” he told Flourish.
In preparation for his new role, Canon Andrew has been addressing various practical matters while continuing his duties at the Cathedral. He has also been on retreat in anticipation of his Episcopal Ordination, scheduled for August 10. Archbishop Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh will be the lead consecrator, with Archbishop Nolan and Bishop Joe Toal of Motherwell assisting.
The ordination Mass will take place on the Feast of St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, surrounded by family and friends. Canon Andrew expressed special joy that his parents, in their mid-80s, plan to travel to Dundee for the event, and he hopes his brother and sister will sing at the Mass.
As he steps into his new role, Canon Andrew is also working on selecting a motto and designing a coat of arms. Reflecting on his journey, he noted the significance of the liturgy, which will include elements from his ordination Mass as a priest on October 31, 1988. “The same psalm will be sung – Mgr Gerry Fitzpatrick’s version of ‘Such are the men who seek your face, who seek your face O Lord’ – and the concluding hymn will also be the same, ‘For all the saints’.”
Recently, the Bishop-elect made a trip to Rome to choose an episcopal ring, a pectoral cross, and a mitre, and to be fitted for a bishop’s soutane. “It should be in the post and arriving any day now,” he said hopefully.
Upon taking office, Canon Andrew will reside in Newport on Tay, in the parish house of St Fillan’s. This house was also chosen for his predecessor, Fr Martin Chambers, who tragically passed away before his consecration. Canon Andrew is somewhat familiar with the area, having served as Director of Priests for Scotland from 2004 to 2012, during which time he worked closely with the late Bishop Vincent Logan of Dunkeld.
As he prepares to leave Glasgow, Canon Andrew admits to feeling a degree of sadness. “I will be sorry to leave Glasgow and leave the Cathedral,” he said. “The city is my home and I had expected to live the rest of my life here. I moved into the Cathedral one year and nine months ago and some of the boxes from that move have still to be unpacked! I had imagined I would be at the Cathedral for a good while longer and there is certainly work still to be done there, but that will be for my successor now.”
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