Our Clergy
We hope you find this page useful as we introduce you to our parish clergy team, as well as some of the key leadership roles within the Catholic Church relevant to us here in Lockerbie and Moffat.
Fr. Uchenna Odenigbo CSSp
Parish Priest
Uchenna is a Spiritan (Holy Ghost Congregation) missionary priest. He is excited and loves the challenge of the new parish ministry lead at St Teresa’s Dumfries since September 2023.
He was ordained on 13th July 2002, in Nigeria, and has been working in England, since 2003, at different ministries and mission frontiers, including Youth, School, Parish, Prisons, Refugee and Safeguarding ministries.
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It has been, for him, a happy and exciting ministry experience and the best is yet to come.
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Like Bishop Robert Barron, he is fascinated by the beauty, splendour and truth of the Faith. The Incarnation, God among us, Emmanuel, is compelling. And Like C. S. Lewis, he is thrilled by the primacy of Grace – the free, unmerited, unconditional favour of God for everyone, everywhere and every time.
(01387) 252603
Fr. Francis Dometiero CSSp
Assistant Parish Priest
Fr Francis joined our community in September, 2024. He is Ghanaian born and has been involved in ministry [at all levels], working in schools, prisons, hospitals and parishes.
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We look forward to welcoming him to our community.
(01387) 252603
Rev. Willie Hiddleston
Parish Deacon, St. Teresa's
Deacon Willie was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate here in St Teresa's by Bishop Cunningham on Saturday 20th August 2011. Bishop Cunningham appointed him to St Teresa's effective that same day.
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william.hiddleston@gallowaydiocese.org.uk
Deacon Willie is also the Hospital Chaplain to the new DGRI. Please text or message him if you or a relative has been admitted to Hospital and he will visit soon after.
07 591 230 828
Rev. Fr William McFadden
Dean, St. Andrew's Deanary
The southern part of the Diocese of Galloway is called the St Andrew's Deanery. It covers the entire Dumfries & Galloway region.
It incorporates the parishes of:
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St Teresa's, Dumfries, Holy Trinity, Lockerbie with the church of St Luke's, Moffat; SS Andrew and Cuthbert, Kirkcudbright, St Peter's, Dalbeattie, Our Lady & St Ninian, Newton Stewart, St Martin and St Ninian's, Whithorn and The Sacred Heart, Wigtown; St Andrew's, Dumfries, St Columba's, Annan; St Joseph's, Stranraer.
The Dean is: Rev. Fr. William R. McFadden VG, PhB., STL., MS.
Address: St Andrew's and St Cuthbert's,
High Street,
KIRKCUDBRIGHT
DG6 4JW.
(01557) 330687
Photo Credit: Paul McSherry
Photo Credit: Paul McSherry
Right Reverand Francis Dougan
Diocesan Bishop, Galloway
"Quench not the quivering flame."
Bishop Frank is the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway. He succeeded Archbishop William Nolan who was Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 when he became Archbishop of Glasgow.
Reacting to his appointment, Bishop Frank said;
“I am humbled and more than a little bit nervous that Pope Francis has asked me to take on this office. I feel confident however that I will not be alone in spreading the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be joining with every single person in Galloway Diocese all of whom have a role to play, my role being just one of them.”
“With God’s grace and the deep faith of the Church in Galloway we can continue to build on the solid foundations left by those who have come before us, stretching back to St. Ninian who first planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Scotland here in Galloway.”
“My mother was from Ayr, and I spent many childhood summers here, so you could say there is a little bit of coming home for me! But most importantly, we must proclaim a Church where everyone can feel at home and welcomed.”
(01292) 266750
The Most Reverend Leo Cushley, PhB STB SLL JCD
Metropolitan Archbishop, St. Andrew's and Edinburgh
"Amare Quod Praecipis" meaning "To love what you command"
The chief pastor of the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh is Archbishop Leo Cushley whose authority derives from being a direct successor of Christ’s Apostles in communion with the Holy See. Prudently, Archbishop Cushley seeks to fulfil his role as chief pastor with the help and assistance of both the lay faithful and clergy.
A Metropolitan Archbishop presides over their own archdiocese, whilst also presiding over other bishops within his Metropolitan See.
Photo Credit: The Catholic Herald
Photo Credit: The Catholic Herald
Photo Credit:
Paul McShery
His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía
Apostolic Nuncio, Great Britain
"Quis Ut Deus" meaning
"Who Is Like God"
Archbishop Buendía succeeds Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, was named prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches on 21 November 2022.
He was previously Apostolic Nuncio to Romania in 2015, and to the Republic of Moldova in 2016, prior to which he was Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan from 2008.
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Archbishop Buendía was born in Madrid on 19 November 1955, he studied philosophy and theology at the Conciliar Seminary of Madrid before being ordained a priest for the Archdiocese on 26 June 1980.
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The Apostolic Nuncio is the apostolic diplomat to the Holy See and the Holy Father.
The Holy Father
Pope Francis
Francis is the first Jesuit pope. He is also the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. He was elected as the 266th Supreme Pontiff on 13 March 2013. He is the head of state of the world's smallest sovereign country, Vatican City. He is also spiritual leader as the head of the Catholic Church to 1.2 billion Catholics across the globe.
His regular Vatican appointments are:
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A weekly blessing for the faithful every Sunday from his window overlooking Saint Peter's Square,
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A weekly general audience for 5,000+ faithful.
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Daily meetings in the best interests of the Catholic Church.
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The Pope normally presides over religious celebrations, including Christmas and Easter.
