Patrick MacAlister

Patrick McAlister (1826–1895) was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and 24th Lord Bishop of Down and Connor.

McAlister was born in Bonecastle, parish of Down, and was baptised by Fr Cornelius Denvir (afterwards Bishop of Down and Connor) on 12 April 1826. He studied in St. Malachy's College and then entered the Logic Class in St Patrick's College, Maynooth on 27 August 1848. He was ordained in Clarendon Street Chapel, Dublin, by Dr Whelan, Bishop of Bombay on 18 September 1852 and was given his first appointment as Curate of Ballymena on 18 November 1852. He was sent on a temporary mission, as locum tenens to Glenravel, while the priest there was engaged in building St Patrick's Church in the Braid, where he officiated from December 1853 until March 1854. He returned to Ballymena and, after a few months, was appointed Curate of the Lower Ards, April 1854.

He was appointed Curate of Ahoghill in October 1856, but sent to take charge of Ballymoney parish until Father McErlain, the recently appointed parish priest could arrive, which did not occur until 10 March 1857. He was then was curate of Ahoghill until May 1858, when he was appointed Administrator of Holywood and Ballymacarrett, while Father Killen, the parish priest, was administering the parish of Belfast for Dr Denvir. Father McAlister caught scarlatina in Holywood when discharging his duties and was sometime off the mission through sickness. He afterwards officiated two months in Saul, three months in Ballymena and four months in Glenravel; after which be was re-appointed to the curacy of Holywood and Barlymacarret; from that mission he was appointed Parish Priest of Ramoan, 2 September 1862.

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