PROFILE OF BISHOP EMERITUS
Early years in Ireland
Robert Patrick Ellison was born in Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland, in February 1942. He attended Blackrock College as a day pupil from 1954 to 1959, and then entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost.
He made his first profession in 1960, and studied philosophy at Kimmage Manor before entering University College Dublin, where he read mathematics, chemistry and botany, and gained a BSc degree in 1965.
He 'prefected' for a year at Blackrock College. ‘Prefecting’ involves teaching practice and the supervision of boarding pupils.
Robert Ellison studied theology at the Gregorian University Rome. In 1970, he was awarded an STL (Sacrae Theologiae Licentia) in dogma.
First arrival in The Gambia
Young Fr Ellison arrived in Banjul on 27th October 1970, having been ordained at Kimmage Manor on 6th July 1969 by the Most Revd Charles McQuaid CSSp, Archbishop of Dublin. He taught at St Augustine's High School Banjul until July 1971.In May that year, he was also appointed Administrator of the Cathedral.
After this experience in ministry and teaching, Fr Ellison proceeded to Rome, where from October 1972 to June the following year he studied theology, law and the history of Islam at the Pontifical Institute for Islamic & Arabic Studies.
He gained further pastoral experience in The Gambia from October 1973 to July 1974 as Priest-in-Charge at St Michael's Njongon.
Fr Ellison followed this by attending a course in pastoral counseling at Marianella, Dublin, and went on to teach theology for two years and then Islamic studies for a further four years, and was Director of the Philosophy Formation House.
In 1980 Fr Ellison was awarded a certificate in linguistics by the Summer Institute of Linguistics at High Wycombe in England.
Return to The Gambia
Fr Ellison returned to The Gambia in January 1981. He was again Administrator of the Cathedral for a while, and appointed Vicar-General. He then took charge of building and administration at the Junior Seminary, Lamin.
In 1985 Fr Ellison became Parish Priest of Star of the Sea Bakau, and District Superior of the Holy Spirit Congregation.
He was in England from 1991 to 1992, studying human and spiritual formation at the Institute of St Anselm, in Kent.
Fr Ellison worked again in The Gambia as Director of the Junior Seminary Lamin from 1992 until 1994, when he was appointed Director of GPI.
After this satisfying work, Fr Ellison went back to Rome in 1999 as the Secretary-General of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
On 25th February 2006 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr Robert Ellison as bishop to the Diocese of Banjul, in succession to Bishop Michael Cleary CSSp, who had presided over the diocese since 1981.
From 4th to 8th August 2006 Bishop Ellison hosted the final meeting of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa, attended by about 120 West African English-speaking cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople.
Among the many features of Bishop Ellison’s leadership have been the hosting of the Diocesan Assembly in March/April 2008 and developments concerned with enabling the diocese to be increasingly ‘dynamic’ and self-supporting.
He also built the Centenary house which was formally opened in March 2014
Bishop Ellison died in the early hours of Thursday morning 22nd February,2024 the Feast day of the Chair of St. Peter. May his gentle soul rest in peace and rise in glory.
Bishop Emeritus Ellison CSSp will be remembered for his love of the people of The Gambia and his simple but gentle way of doing things.
May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace and rise in glory.
Source: GPI
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