Canon Patrick Boylan retires from active ministry this weekend after 49 years of service as a priest of the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh.
Over almost half a century, Canon Pat’s ministry has taken him from parish life to the formation of future priests, from school chaplaincy to hospital and hospice ministry, serving communities across the Archdiocese and beyond.
A native of Broxburn in West Lothian, He trained for the priesthood at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange, and was ordained by Cardinal Gordon Gray at Ss John Cantius & Nicholas in Broxburn in 1977.
His first appointment took him briefly to Our Lady Star of the Sea in North Berwick before he became assistant priest at St Francis Xavier’s in Falkirk, where he served until 1980.
That year he travelled to Rome for further studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, gaining a Licence in Sacred Scripture (LSS) in 1984.
It was to become an important part of his priestly vocation; Canon Pat went on to spend around 25 years teaching Sacred Scripture to men preparing for the priesthood in Scotland.
He first taught at his former seminary, St Andrew’s College, Drygrange, before joining the staff of Gillis College in Edinburgh. He later taught at Scotus College in Glasgow, remaining there until 2003.
His academic work was combined with parish ministry. After a brief appointment at St Catherine’s in Edinburgh in 1984, he served at St Mary’s, Pathhead, from 1986 to 1991, while continuing to teach at Gillis College.
In 1991 he moved to St Margaret’s in Loanhead, where he remained for nine years. During this period he also served as co-ordinating chaplain to St David’s High School in Dalkeith.
Canon Pat was appointed to St Michael’s in Linlithgow in 2000, serving the parish for nine years before moving to St Alexander’s in Denny in 2009.
Denny has been his home for the final 17 years of his active ministry. From 2016 he also had responsibility for St Luke’s in Banknock, serving both parish communities.
Canon Pat has devoted a significant part of his later ministry to the care of the sick and their families. He has served as co-ordinating Catholic chaplain at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert and has also been involved in pastoral care at Strathcarron Hospice.
He also spent time recording video mini-homilies which he posted on the Facebook page of his parish.
His contribution to the wider life of the Archdiocese has included service as a Trustee and as a member of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter.
Now 74, Canon Pat retires having completed 49 years of active priestly ministry — years which have encompassed parish life, the formation of priests, Catholic education and the pastoral care of people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Canon Pat remains a priest of the Archdiocese and returns in retirement to his native Broxburn — appropriately, the place where his journey towards priesthood began and where he was ordained almost half a century ago.
The Archdiocese thanks Canon Pat for his generous service over the past 49 years and wishes him every blessing for a happy and well-earned retirement.
