Fr Kevin Rennie was ordained on Friday night at St Teresa’s parish in Dumfries.
It was a moment of great joy in the diocese of Galloway as the last ordination there was in 2008.
Archbishop William Nolan of Glasgow returned to his old diocese to ordain Fr Rennie, as his successor as bishop of Galloway is yet to be appointed.
Archbishop Nolan said it was a joyful moment the diocese had been waiting a long time for.
The Archbishop added that though he had completed his studies to become a priest, Fr Rennie would need to continue to learn, this time from the people of the diocese.
“We want our priest to be human,” he said. “To have empathy, to understand people’s lives, we want priests to be people others turn to for help. And receive that help.”
Previously Fr Rennie said that he didn’t seriously consider the priesthood until attending the university of Edinburgh when he encountered the Dominican Order.
“Two of the Friars were instrumental in my growth in faith and love of Christ,” he recalled. “Towards the end of my third year I began to feel that I couldn’t see myself doing engineering as a profession. I started discussing vocations with my parish priest in Dumfries at the time. In Seminary, I have found great joy, as well as having the opportunity to learn and grow more in my Spiritual Life and relationships with others.”