Obituary: Canon Ian Mullen, priest who served in Angus and Tayside will be honoured with a requiem mass

IAN Mullen was a son of the parish to which he was called back to spend his lengthiest term of office as parish priest.

Born and brought up in Dundee, he was educated at the city’s St Clement’s Primary School before embarking on his studies for the priesthood at the junior seminary, St Vincent’s College, Langbank in Renfrewshire.

He then went on to St Mary’s College at the then national junior seminary at Blairs, outside Aberdeen, before attending the Royal Scots College at Valladolid in Spain.

He was ordained on 8 July, 1978, in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Dundee, by Bishop William Andrew Hart and his first appointment was as assistant priest in St Pius X, Dundee, where he served until 1981.

He then moved to Perth where he was curate at St John The Baptist’s and, in 1986, he received his first parish when Bishop Vincent Logan appointed him parish priest of St Anne’s in Carnoustie. He spent three years there before being appointed to St Fergus, Forfar linked with St Anthony’s, Kirriemuir.

In 1993 he returned home to his own parish of St Clement’s in the Charleston area of the city, where he spent 12 years as parish priest.

In 2005 he became parish priest of St Stephen’s, Blairgowrie, serving St Mary’s, Coupar Angus and St Luan’s in Alyth.

In May 2008 he was made a member of the Cathedral Chapter of Canons and retired from the Diocese of Dunkeld last year due to ill health.

Canon Mullen is survived by his mother Betty, his brother Charlie, sister-in-law Helen and nieces Gillian, Claire and Louise.

A requiem mass will be said for him in St Clement’s Church on Monday at 11:30am before his burial in the Priests’ Plot at Dundee’s Balgay Cemetery.

ALISON SHAW