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Pope Leo XIV approved the union of two more Irish dioceses under a single bishop Wednesday.
The Vatican announced July 29 that Bishop Gerard Nash, who has led the Diocese of Ferns since 2021, would also serve as the Bishop of Ossory, uniting the neighboring dioceses in persona episcopi (in the person of the bishop).
Nash, who is 67, will oversee both dioceses, though they remain juridically separate. He has served as the apostolic administrator of the Ossory diocese since Jan. 25, 2026.
Ferns and Ossory are the fourth set of Irish dioceses to be united in persona episcopi, but the previous three sets were in the Ecclesiastical Province of Tuam in the West of Ireland.
The July 29 announcement marks the first in persona episcopi union in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dublin, indicating that the consolidation process is not limited to a single geographical area of Ireland.
Commenting on his appointment, Nash said: “This amalgamation of dioceses has begun in the West of Ireland and will continue in the rest of our country as opportunity allows.”
The
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