Born in Glasgow, Scotland on 26 August 1901 in the parish of Holy Cross, Edward W. Douglas was educated at
St Aloysius' College, Glasgow. In 1916, he began his studies for the priesthood at
St. Mary's College, Blairs. In 1919, he entered the diocesan seminary, St. Peter's in Bearsden. He was ordained to the
priesthood at
St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow by
Archbishop Donald Mackintosh on 1 May 1924. Douglas served as a parish priest at St. Margaret's,
Airdrie, St. Bridget's,
Baillieston, and St. Alphonsus', Glasgow. and then spent eighteen years on the staff of St. Mary's College, where he was choirmaster and organist, and is remembered as a devoted and gifted teacher. His brother Robert was also a parish priest. He was appointed the
Bishop of the
Diocese of Motherwell by the
Holy See on 7 February 1948. The
Church of Our Lady of Good Aid in
Motherwell was chosen as the cathedral of the new diocese. Douglas was consecrated to the
Episcopate on 21 April 1948. The principal
consecrator was Archbishop
Donald Alphonsus Campbell of Glasgow, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop
Kenneth Grant of Argyll and the Isles and Bishop
John Alexander Matheson of Aberdeen. During his six-year tenure, fourteen new parishes were established and two new churches built in older parishes, and the Cathedral Chapter erected in 1953. The Capuchins were established in
Uddingston, the
Missionaries of Africa in Rutherglen, and the Xaverians in
Biggar. The
Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls founded a retreat house for women and girls at Newmains. The
Poor Clares and the Notre Dame Sisters also established houses in the diocese. Douglas resigned as Bishop of Motherwell due to continuing ill health and was appointed
Titular Bishop of
Botrys on 9 February 1954. He retired to
Fairlie, Ayrshire and later underwent a serious throat operation. He died on 12 June 1967, aged 65, at Bon Secours Hospital, in Glasgow and was buried in St. Patrick's cemetery, New Stevenson, Lanarkshire. ==References==