Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley

The Diocese of Paisley is a Roman Catholic diocese in Scotland covering Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. It was created in 1947 from part of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and remains Scotland’s smallest diocese by area. The diocese serves 33 parishes with 30 priests and is divided into three deaneries. Its mother church is St Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley, where the bishop has his seat. The Jericho Benedictines have their mother house in Kilbarchan near Johnstone. The diocese has grown steadily since 2004, when its Catholic population stood at 79,400. By 2016 it had risen to 88,600, about a quarter of the total population. The current bishop is the Right Reverend John Keenan, the fifth to hold the office. The diocese celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 2008 with a Mass concelebrated by several archbishops and bishops. Pope Benedict XVI also passed through the diocese in 2010, departing from Glasgow Airport within its boundaries. Visitors to St Mirin’s Cathedral find a modest but dignified building that serves as the spiritual heart of the diocese. The cathedral stands in the centre of Paisley and hosts major diocesan events. Nearby, the Jericho Benedictines maintain a small community in Kilbarchan. The surrounding towns and villages offer quiet streets and green spaces, with the wider area shaped by its industrial past and modern communities.