A New Archbishop of Westminster
This Saturday afternoon (the feast of Saints Cyril & Methodius, although some may be keener to observe St Valentine) the Diocese of Westminster will celebrate the installation of the new Archbishop, Richard Moth. He is coming to the diocese as Archbishop having served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015. Prior to that, he was Catholic Bishop of the Forces from 2009.
Archbishop Richard was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Southwark on 3rd July 1982 (a year which some of us will remember fondly as the time when Pope St John Paul II visited England and Wales.)
We welcome Archbishop Richard among us in the coming days and pray that he will have a long, happy and fruitful ministry as Archbishop. He is new to the diocese, but I am sure he will soon make his way up to Enfield.
A new Archbishop might seem to make little difference to us in the parish, at the local level. We will notice the name of the bishop changes in the Eucharistic Prayer, as we noticed the name of the Pope changed upon the election of Pope Leo XIV. But, besides this, Archbishop Richard leads us and sets the vision for us here in the diocese. We hope and pray that, in the words of this Sunday’s psalm (112) he will be ‘generous, merciful and righteous’ and that ‘’with a firm heart, he trusts in the Lord.’
On our part, we seek to support our new spiritual leader and guide, understanding that we all share with him in being both the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Each of us, bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity, share in the same work of the kingdom and the mission of the Church. Together, we proclaim Christ, and him crucified, as St Paul conveniently reminds us in the second reading for this Sunday.
We keep the new Archbishop in our prayers at this time. We are assured of his prayers and best wishes at this special time.
With my prayers and good wishes,
