John MacDonald was a Roman Catholic bishop

Bishop (Catholic Church)

In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....

 who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Highland District of Scotland.

Born in Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its length.-Geography:...

, Argyllshire in 1727, he was ordained

Holy Orders

The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....

 a priest

Priesthood (Catholic Church)

The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....

 on 1 April 1752. He was appointed the Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of the Highland District and Titular Bishop

Titular bishop

A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...

 of Tiberiopolis by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 on 25 February 1761. He was consecrated

Consecration

Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...

 to the Episcopate

Episcopal polity

Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...

 at Preshome on 27 September 1761. The principal consecrator

Consecrator

Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...

 was Bishop Hugh MacDonald, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith (bishop)

Alexander Smith was a Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Lowland District, Scotland.-Life:Born in Fochabers, Moray in 1694, he was ordained a priest on 19 April 1712. He was appointed the Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of the Lowland District and Titular Bishop of...

 and Bishop James Grant

James Grant (bishop)

James Grant was a Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Lowland District, Scotland.Born in Wester Boggs, Enzie, Banffshire in July 1706, he was ordained a priest on 4 April 1733...

. On the death of Bishop Hugh MacDonald on 12 March 1773, he automatically succeeded as the Vicar Apostolic of the Highland District. He died in office on 9 May 1779, aged 52.