Upcoming Visit From His Excellency Bishop Paul Swarbrick

St. Bede's is fortunate enough to have His Excellency, Bishop Paul Swarbrick visiting us after Easter. Bishop Paul will be coming in for a pastoral visit. This means that he is coming to listen to us, meet the pupils and staff and bless our school. We have put together a schedule which enables Bishop Paul to meet with as many pupils as possible. His visit even includes pupils from St. Peter's! The Bishop will be meeting our newly formed pupil leadership team, the Society of St. Joseph. He will also deliver an assembly to our year 11s who are about to embark on the last stages of their GCSE journey. Our music form have been preparing a special hymn known as the 'Salve Regina' which will be sung at the end of the rosary. Bishop Paul will be accompanied by Father John Millar, our Priest Chaplain, throughout the visit. We are really honoured to have a successor of the apostles come and visit us and we are sure it will be a memorable event for our staff and pupils.

For more information on who Bishop Paul is, please see the following:

Ordained priest on 10 July 1982 at Ss Mary & Michael’s church, Garstang, he would go on to serve as Assistant Priest at St Mary, Kells, Whitehaven (1982 – 1983), St Maria Goretti, Preston (1983 – 1984), St Cuthbert, Blackpool (1984 – 1990) where he was also Chaplain to St Mary’s Catholic High School, Blackpool before volunteering to serve on the missions in Monze Diocese, Zambia (1990 – 2005).

Upon his return from Zambia, after fifteen years, he assisted at English Martyrs, Preston (2005 – 2006) and for a few months at Mater Amabilis, Ambleside until he was appointed Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart, Preston whilst also in charge of St Walburge, Preston (2007 – 2010).

Before his ordination as Bishop he was Parish Priest of Our Lady & St Michael, Workington (2010-2018) – now the enlarged parish of Christ the Good Shepherd, Workington – Harrington and was also the local Dean (Vicar Forane) for West Cumbria. In 2015 he was made a Canon of Lancaster Cathedral Chapter.

He was announced as the seventh Bishop of Lancaster by Pope Francis on 12 February 2018 and ordained Bishop and installed as Diocesan Bishop by Bishop Michael Campbell on 9 April 2018 at St Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster.