by Mary Cullen

1926-2023

Maurice Taylor, Bishop Emeritus of Galloway, died on 14 June 2023. He was 97 and had been a bishop for 42 years.

He was born in Hamilton and ordained a priest in Rome in 1950 for the newly established Diocese of Motherwell. He was awarded a doctorate in theology four years later and was appointed to the staff at St Peter’s College, Cardross, in 1955, where he taught for ten years.

From 1965-1974 he was rector at the Royal Scots College Valladolid, and published a history of the college in 1971, one of many books he was to write. Ten years later, he became Bishop of Galloway.

At the invitation of the Catholic Institute for International Relations, he became a regular visitor to Latin America and raised awareness of the poverty and suffering of the people there. He served for short periods in Central American parishes, an association which he later said was one of the most enriching experiences of his life.

Bishop Taylor played a key role in bringing the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council to the English speaking world, first as a board member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) then as its chair from 1997-2002. His commitment to the Council’s vision brought him into conflict with Rome, a painful experience which he recorded in his 2009 book, It’s the Eucharist, Thank God.

Mary Cullen is the editor of Open House