Anglican Communion News Service

The Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh in the Church of Ireland has recently been elected to the See of Limerick of Killaloe by an Electoral College meeting in Dublin.

Bishop Michael Mayes has been Bishop of Kilmore since 1993, and he succeeds the Rt Revd Edward Darling who retired as Bishop of Limerick in July.

Bishop Michael was educated at the Royal School Armagh and Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated with a degree in oriental languages. He also gained a Bachelor of Divinity degree from London University.

Between 1968 and 1975 Bishop Michael worked in Japan under the auspices of the USPG. He was a member of the Anglican Consultative Council between 1990 and 1996.

Bishop Michael described his time in Japan as "one of the most formative periods of my life. Japan had an enormous impact on me, and enabled me to see life through the eyes of a very different culture, following a process of being broken out of one's own culture. It was a painful but absolutely tremendous experience."

From 1978 to 1981 the Bishop's wife, Beth, was World President of the Girls' Friendly Society, and represented Ireland at the Society's World Conference in Japan in 1965. The couple have three children who live in Cork, where Bishop Michael was Archdeacon from 1986 until becoming Bishop of Kilmore.

"I am looking forward to getting know the clergy and people of this widely spread diocese," the Bishop said of his forthcoming move. His translation is scheduled for early November.

Article from: The Church of Ireland Gazette