Lawrence Duffy

Duffy was appointed Bishop-elect of Clogher by Pope Francis on 8 December 2018.^{[11][5][2][12]} The appointment was seen as unusual as, at that time, new bishops in Ireland tended to be appointed from without their native diocese, rather than within.^[13][14]

He received episcopal ordination from the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Eamon Martin, on 10 February 2019 in St Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan.^[5][8]

In an interview with The Irish Times on 15 October 2020, Duffy spoke of the frustration felt by people in his diocese who could attend public Mass in parishes within Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not in the Republic of Ireland.^[15] In an interview with The Irish Catholic on 22 October 2020, he stated his belief that the restriction on public prayer during Level 3 restrictions in the Republic of Ireland was "severe".^[16]

Bishop Duffy has initiated a series of pastoral reforms aimed at coping with the falling number of priests in his diocese. In 2023 he observed "the figures given to us indicate that if we continue as we are, in less than 20 years there will be fewer than 10 priests covering the 85 churches across the whole diocese" ^[17] and, consequently, has encouraged the development of new ministries for lay people including at a time of funerals and bereavement. ^[18]

He has also introduced the permanent diaconate into his diocese ^[19] and welcomed Kenyan priests to minister in Clogher. ^[20]

• Bishop Lawrence Duffy on Catholic-Hierarchy.org
• Bishop Lawrence Duffy on GCatholic
• Bishop Lawrence Duffy on Diocese of Clogher