Bishop Raymond Field, one of Dublin’s two Catholic Auxiliary bishops, who was part of a mission to climb the Himalayas 25 years ago, has retired after reaching his 75th birthday.
A barrister, who was called to the Irish and English bars, Bishop Field was a member of the first successful Irish expedition to Mount Everest with Dawson Stelfox in 1993.
From Drumcondra in Dublin he attended O'Connell Schools and Holy Cross College, Clonliffe before his ordination in 1970. Later, he served as a prison chaplain and head chaplain of the Defence Forces.
In September 1997 he was appointed Titular Bishop of Ard Mór and Auxiliary bishop of Dublin and dealt mainly with the rapidly growing area of north county Dublin.
Chair of the Irish Bishops’ Council for Justice and Peace and of their Council for Immigrants and, as diocesan health care representative, he led preparations in the diocese for World Day of the Sick celebrations since 2002.
Archbishop Dublin Diarmuid Martin thanked Bishop Field “for his dedicated service within the diocese”, saying that he wished him “every blessing for the years to come”.
The Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin expressed gratitude "for his contribution to the life of the Church and to the work of the Bishops' Conference since his ordination as a bishop in 1997".
His retirement means that Dublin now has just one Catholic Auxiliary bishop, Bishop Eamonn Walsh, who will be 75 in September. Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin will be 75 next April.
