A New Bishop for the Diocese of Lancaster

A New Bishop for the Diocese of Lancaster

On Monday 12th February Pope Francis appointed Canon Paul Swarbrick as the Seventh Bishop of Lancaster. Bishop-Elect Paul will be ordained bishop on Monday 9th April, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at Lancaster Cathedral. This guide will help your school prepare to celebrate this important event in the life of the Diocese of Lancaster. It contains useful information to help explain some of features of the ordination of a bishop and the way in which this explains the future ministry of a bishop: to teach, to govern and to sanctify. Bishop-Elect Paul, on his appointment, said that I have given my acceptance in a spirit of profound humility, deeply conscious of my unworthiness and sinfulness. It is a call to follow Jesus with greater trust and more generous love, ever mindful of what He has done for me and, ultimately, the fullness of Life He calls me to share. He asked for your prayers as he begins this unique call to follow Jesus with greater trust. Let us, within our diocesan family of schools, prayer for him and for our diocese. Canon Luiz Ruscillo Head of Service Diocese of Lancaster Education Service

What is a bishop? A bishop is regarded by Catholics as a successor of the apostles whom Jesus chose to carry on the work of His church. A bishop is chosen especially to lead a particular local church. He is called to exercise a three-fold office within the Catholic Church: to teach, govern and sanctify. To teach the Faith is of the very nature of the office of bishop. The teaching is grounded in the Word of God as has been preserved in the Church and handed on to us in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition of the Church, continually inviting people to salvation by believing, accepting and living divinely revealed Truth. As His own public ministry was ending, Christ directed the apostles to preach the gospel to all the nations, a mission each bishop performs daily. Presiding in love, the authority of the bishop to govern comes from Jesus Himself and is always modelled on Christ, the Good Shepherd. A bishop seeks to guide the Church in ways that preserve the unity of the Church and bring people and resources together to fulfil the mission of the Church in love. Bishop Michael Campbell OSA Photo Sacred Heart of Jesus, Carlisle The ministry of a bishop is to sanctify the church and world, most importantly, through his good example of prayer and reverence for the things of God. The bishop s journey of faith shines as a public witness and source of hope, helping people to become saints by communicating the love of God and neighbour following the example of Jesus Christ. The bishop, as a shepherd, encourages a spirit of prayer, celebrates the sacred liturgy and all the sacraments to help people become holy. He promotes the work of peace and justice, especially for the poor and those in need. The responsibility to teach, govern and sanctify the people of God is the ministry of a bishop, with his priests to help him.

How is a bishop chosen? A simplified version On reaching the age of 75 a bishop offers his resignation to the Holy Father If the Holy Father accepts, he asked his representative in a country, his Apostolic Nuncio, to find a someone who would be most suitable as the new bishop The Holy Father chooses the most suitable candidate and the Nuncio informs the candidate of that choice. This terna is sent to the Congregation for Bishops in Rome where further investigations are made and then a recommendation to given to the Holy Father so that he can make his choice He investigates their suitability by asking people who have known and worked with them and then draws up a short list or terna of three names The Nuncio receives nominations and recommendations from bishops, priests, and the lay faithful of men who would be suitable to be bishop

Who has Pope Francis chosen as our new bishop? The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen Canon Paul Swarbrick, a priest of our diocese, to be the seventh Bishop of Lancaster. He will succeed Bishop Michael Campbell OSA when he is ordained a bishop on Monday 9th April. Bishop-Elect Paul was born in Garstang in Lancashire, not far from Lancaster. He was born on 2nd July 1958 - his parents we George and Alice Swarbrick. He went to primary school in Garstang before studying at Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He trained to be a priest at Ushaw College in County Durham. He was ordained a priest on 10th July 1982 at Ss Mary & Michael s Church in Garstang. During his 35 years as a priest of the diocese, he has served at St. Mary s in Kells, Whitehaven; St. Maria Goretti, Preston; St. Cuthbert, Blackpool; English Martyrs, Preston; Mater Amabilis, Ambleside; Sacred Heart and St. Walburge, Preston; and Our Lady & St. Michael and St. Gregory, Workington; and St. Mary s, Harrington. Bishop-Elect Paul Swarbrick Photo Diocese of Lancaster For fifteen years between 1990 and 2005 Bishop-Elect Paul worked as a missionary in the Diocese of Monze in Zambia. He has a great love of the Lake District and enjoys cycling and fell walking.

When will he become Bishop of Lancaster? Bishop-Elect Paul will become Bishop of Lancaster when he is ordained as a bishop on Monday 9th April at 11.30 am in St. Peter s Cathedral in Lancaster. This day will be the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Easter is very early this year and because the usual day for celebration of the Annunciation, the 25th March, is within Holy Week - the feast moves to the first available date after Easter. This is 9th April. The ordination will be a grand affair and there will be many guests present. The Pope s representative, the Nuncio Archbishop Edward Adams [who helped choose Bishop Elect Paul] will be there along with Archbishops and Bishops from across the United Kingdom. Representatives from parishes and schools will also be invited as well a leaders from the local community. All the priests and deacons of the diocese, the co-workers of the bishop, will be there offering a strong show of support for their new bishop.

How is a bishop ordained? The ordination of a bishop is a very beautiful liturgy. It takes place within the celebration of Holy Mass where the Bishop-Elect gathers with the priests, deacons and people of the diocese. 1 The ordination begins after the Gospel with the singing of the hymn Veni, Creator Spiritus, an ancient hymn believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th Century. Although a hymn, it is a prayer which asks for the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit for what is about to take place. 2 Most Reverend Father, the church of Lancaster asks you to ordain this priest, Paul Swarbrick, for service as bishop. A priest, who represents the clergy and people of the diocese, asks the consecrating bishop to ordain Canon Paul Swarbrick as a bishop. 3 The consecrating Bishop asks if this is done with the permission of the Holy Father and asks that the Papal Mandate - the permission in written form- be read. This Papal Mandate is written on parchment in Latin (the language of the Church) and is read in that language to the congregation. A translation in English is also sometimes read out to the congregation.

4 Thanks be to God After the reading of the Papal Mandate the congregation shows their approval at the choice of Canon Paul Swarbrick as our new bishop by saying Thanks be to God. 5 Homily The consecrating bishop will speak to the congregation and especially to Canon Paul Swarbrick on the duties of a bishop Will you? The consecrating bishop will then question Canon Paul Swarbrick 6 on his willingness to serve as bishop and whether he fully understands the duties he will have to fulfil 7 Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk The consecrating bishop invites everyone to pray. Canon Paul Swarbrick will prostrate himself on the floor of the cathedral while the rest of congregation kneels in prayer. The Litany of the Saints is then sung by cantors and all gathered make the responses.

8 The consecrating bishops and all other bishops present will then lay hands on Canon Paul Swarbrick in silence. Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk

9 Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk The consecrating bishop will then place the open Book of the Gospels over the head of the Canon Paul Swarbrick with two deacons standing holding the Book of the Gospels above his head during the Prayer of Consecration.

10 Now a Bishop, Bishop Paul Swarbrick will be anointed on the crown of the head with the Oil of Chrism. 11 Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk He will then be presented with the Book of the Gospels

12 Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk He is invested with Ring, Mitre and Crozier after which he is seated in the Cathedra of the diocese and is greeted with a kiss of peace from all the bishops.

What are the symbols of the Office of Bishop? The Crozier or Pastoral Staff Officially known as the pastoral staff, the crosier symbolises a bishop s pastoral authority and Christ s love and protection for his people as a shepherd would watch over his sheep. It can be traced to the walking sticks of the Twelve Apostles and, in the early Church, was made of wood. The Episcopal Ring The episcopal ring signifies the bishop s authority and dates to the third century. Symbolic of the bishop s marriage to the Church and spiritual parentage of the diocese s faithful, the ring binds the priests and the faithful to the bishop and his teaching on all spiritual matters. It is worn on the right hand s ring finger. The Mitre The miter s use in the Church dates to the tenth century, but it likely has roots in headgear worn by Greek athletes. It is most commonly seen in the Gothic style, with pointed peaks and two long fabric strips attached to its back. It is worn by bishops and abbots to symbolise the offices dignity and jurisdiction.

What else might a bishop wear? mozzetta Choir Dress Bishops wear a purple cassock with scarlet piping, and add a pectoral cross suspended from a green and gold cord, a mozzetta over the rochet, and a purple zucchetto under the biretta. The Zucchetto The name comes from the Italian for pumpkin. It is a small skullcap worn by bishops biretta rochet The Pectoral Cross Made of precious metal and worn on a chain or a chord (if wearing a cassock) around the neck, the pectoral cross is designed to sit near the wearer s heart (pectus is Latin for breast). A pectoral cross is worn at all times by the pope, cardinals, bishops and abbots, and it reflects the dignity of their office. cassock

The Previous Bishops of Lancaster Thomas Wulstan Pearson OSB 1924-1938 Patrick O Donoghue 2001-2009 Thomas Edward Flynn 1939-1961 Brian Charles Foley 1962-1985 John Brewer 1985-2000 Michael Gregory Campbell OSA 2009-2018

Compiled from various sources by Fr. Michael Docherty. February 2018 Photos are used according to copyright terms.