The Bishops of Scotland are delighted to announce that Fr Stuart Chalmers, the Spiritual Director of the Royal Scots College Salamanca, will soon take up a new position as Lecturer in Theology at the Fremantle Campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia. This is a prestigious appointment and reflects Fr Stuart’s expertise in the area of Moral Theology for which he holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St Patrick’s, Maynooth. With his usual humility, Fr Stuart would suggest that he deserves no great praise for this, and so the Bishops and staff of the College want to put on record their deep thanks for the years he has given to the seminary in Spain and offer him our deepest congratulations, best wishes and prayers.

Fr Stuart has been Spiritual Director and a teacher at the propaedeutic seminary for the past eight and a half years, working with two rectors, Fr Tom Kilbride and Fr John Carroll. During that time, he has also been an Associate Professor at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, teaching courses in Moral Theology, Professional Ethics, Christian Anthropology and Catholic Social Teaching.

A priest of the Diocese of Aberdeen, Fr Stuart has previously served in parishes in the City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and in the Highlands, as well as Vicar General of the Diocese. Fr Stuart says that he is “delighted to have been offered the post” and is “most grateful for the support of Bishop Hugh and of the Bishops’ Conference in encouraging him to undertake this exciting, new role.” He is also grateful for his time in Spain as Spiritual Director at the Scots College. He said, “It has been a joy and privilege to have been involved in the formation of seminarians for Scotland and Ireland in the beautiful surroundings of Salamanca.”

Upon completion of the term in Spain, Fr Stuart will travel to Fremantle, Perth, at the beginning of July to commence teaching later that month.

Please keep him in your prayers.