Hugh Allan (prelate)

Rt Rev Abbot Hugh Allan O.Praem.
Apostolic Administrator of the Falkland Islands and Ecclesiastic Superior of St. Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha and Titular Abbot of Beeleigh
Church	St Mary's Catholic Church, Stanley
Province	Immediately subject to the Holy See
Diocese	Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha
Appointed	26 October 2016
Installed	8 December 2016
Predecessor	Michael McPartland, S.M.A.
Other posts	Prior of the Priory of Our Lady of Sorrows and St Philip Benizi, Chelmsford, United Kingdom
Orders
Ordination	22 November 2002 by Terence Brain
Rank	Titular Abbot
Personal details
Birth name	David Renwick Turnbull Allan
Born	(1976-08-03) 3 August 1976 Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Nationality	British
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Alma mater	St Mary’s University, Twickenham St Benet's Hall, Oxford
Motto	finis fidei salus animarum (The End of Faith is the Salvation of Souls)
Coat of arms

Hugh Allan, O.Praem. (born 3 August 1976) is a Premonstratensian canon regular and Roman Catholic priest who is the Apostolic Administrator of the Prefecture of the Falkland Islands and Ecclesiastical Superior of the Missions sui iuris of the islands of Ascension, St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.^[1]

Hugh Allan was born in Hertfordshire, England, to a Scottish family from the town of Auchtermuchty, located close to the village of Falkland. Raised as a Free Presbyterian, Allan converted to Catholicism at the age of 16. He trained to be a teacher at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. On leaving university, he joined the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines or ‘White Canons’. Following his novitiate, he was sent to complete further studies at St Benet's Hall, Oxford. He made his solemn profession on 27 October 2001 and was ordained a priest on 22 November 2002 by Bishop Terence Brain.

Following ordination, he worked as a full-time school chaplain in North Manchester. In 2004, he was appointed parish priest of Gorton, Manchester. In 2006, he was appointed superior of the Norbertine community in Manchester, aged only 29. At the time, he was the youngest Catholic religious superior in the world. In 2008, the Norbertines opened a new Priory in Chelmsford and he was appointed superior to this new canonry. At the same time, he was appointed parish priest of Chelmsford and has also recently served as the Area Dean for Mid-Essex.

He was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Falkland Islands and Ecclesiastic Superior of St. Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha by Fernando Cardinal Filoni on 26 October 2016 for a period of five years.^[2] In recognition of this ecclesiastical appointment, Allan was also elevated to the title of ‘Titular Abbot of Beeleigh’ by the Abbot General of the Norbertine Order, the Most Revd. Thomas Handgrätinger, O.Praem. He will be officially installed on 8 December 2016.

References