More than two dozen members of the clergy attended the funeral service of an island priest yesterday.
Canon John Angus Macdonald, 72, was found in his flat in Glasgow on the weekend of September 29, following many years of dedicated service to the church.
Born in South Uist, he was a well-liked priest and a long-term supporter of the Gaelic language, and was responsible for the translation of the New Testament from Greek into Gaelic.
During his years of service, he represented a number of dioceses including Arisaig, Fort William and Kingussie.
In celebration of his life, a funeral mass was held at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Fort William yesterday, with priests and bishops from across Scotland travelling to pay tribute to him.
More than 25 priests were in attendance during the service, travelling from as far afield as the priest’s hometown of Uist, Benebecula, Argyll and the Isles, Glasgow and Motherwell.
During the packed service, Bishop Brian McGee – Bishop of Argyll and the Isles – paid tribute to his former teacher and friend.
In his homily, he reflected upon his time as a student at Blair’s College and how the former Priest and his former lecturer at the institute, spent many hours teaching him to speak Spanish; however, it was his most recent memory that captured the hearts of the congregation.
In the weeks prior to his death, Canon Macdonald visited the bishop’s home in Bridge of Allan and they said mass together at his home.
In terms of the legacy he was leaving behind, Bishop McGee said it was his work in translating the Bible into the Gaelic language that would be the memory that ‘everyone will remember him for, for years to come’.
As the mass came to an end, the coffin was piped out of the church by two pipers, before being taken to Cille Choirill Cemetery for burial.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles said: “The Church in Argyll and the Isles extends its thoughts and prayers to all who knew Canon MacDonald at this sad time.
“He served the diocese in a number of parishes over many years, and the Church nationally at St Mary’s College, Blairs.”
