Bishop Donal McKeown is preparing to retire as the Catholic Bishop of Derry, with his final Mass as head of the diocese scheduled for Sunday. He has led the diocese for 12 years, having spent a quarter of a century as a bishop.
Bishop Michael Router will be installed at St Eugene's Cathedral following Bishop McKeown's departure. Bishop McKeown, 76, was ordained in 1977 and became Bishop of Down and Connor in 2001 before moving to Derry in 2014.
The Vatican is currently considering a potential cross-border merger of the dioceses of Derry and Raphoe. Bishop McKeown has previously expressed concerns about this prospect, noting that a major civic reorganisation would be required due to the different charity registrations in Dublin and Belfast.