The Bishop of Brentwood is the Ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in England. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Westminster.-Overview:...

 in the Province of Westminster, England.

Overview

The diocese covers the historic county of Essex, an area of comprising the non-metropolitan county of Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...

 and Thurrock

Thurrock

Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....

, and from Greater London

Greater London

Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...

, the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 1,937; and the area was characterised by farming, woodland and the fishing fleet at Barking. This last industry employed 1,370 men and boys by 1850, but by the end of the century had ceased to exist; replaced by...

, Havering

London Borough of Havering

The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...

, Newham

London Borough of Newham

The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...

, Redbridge

London Borough of Redbridge

The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in outer north-east London. Its administrative headquarters is at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford. The local authority is Redbridge London Borough Council.-Etymology:...

 and Waltham Forest

London Borough of Waltham Forest

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...

, matching Essex's historic boundaries

Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...

 and the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford

Diocese of Chelmsford

The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, and is co-terminous with the boundaries of the Catholic Diocese of...

. The see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 is in the town of Brentwood

Brentwood, Essex

Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....

 where the bishop's seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Cathedral

Brentwood Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English town of Brentwood, Essex. It is the seat of the Diocese of Brentwood.-History:...

 Church of Saint Mary and Saint Helen.

History

The diocese was erected on 20 July 1917 from the Archdiocese of Westminster. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Thomas McMahon

Thomas McMahon (bishop)

Thomas McMahon is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood.-Life:Bishop McMahon grew up in Harlow and attended St. Bede’s Grammar School, Manchester, before training for the priesthood at St. Sulpice, Paris...

, the 6th Bishop of Brentwood, who has announced that he will be retiring the post during 2011.

List of the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood, England

Bishops of Brentwood
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1917	1920	Bernard Nicholas Ward Bernard Nicholas Ward Bernard Nicholas Ward was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Brentwood from 1917 until his death in 1920....	Appointed Apostolic Administrator Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...  of Brentwood Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in England. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Westminster.-Overview:...  on 22 March 1917 and consecrated on 10 April 1917. Appointed Appointment of Catholic bishops The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...  Bishop of Brentwood on 20 July 1917. Died in office on 21 January 1920.
1920	1951	Arthur Doubleday Arthur Doubleday Arthur Doubleday was a South African-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second Bishop of Brentwood from 1920 to 1951....	Appointed bishop on 7 May 1920 and consecrated on 23 June 1920. Died in office on 23 January 1951.
1951	1955	George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool from 29 January 1964 to 7 February 1976.... , A.A. Assumptionists The Augustinians of the Assumption constitute a congregation of Catholic religious , founded in Nîmes, southern France, by Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon in 1845, initially approved by Rome in 1857 and definitively approved in 1864 . The current Rule of Life of the congregation draws its inspiration from...	Appointed Coadjutor Bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  of Brentwood on 7 August 1948 and consecrated on 21 September 1948. Succeeded Bishop of Brentwood on 23 January 1951. Translated to Salford Bishop of Salford The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the...  on 28 November 1955.
1955	1969	Bernard Patrick Wall Bernard Patrick Wall Bernard Patrick Wall was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Brentwood from 1955 to 1969....	Appointed bishop on 30 November 1955 and consecrated on 18 January 1956. Retired on 14 April 1969 and appointed Titular Bishop of Othona. Died on 18 June 1976.
1969	1979	Patrick Joseph Casey Patrick Joseph Casey Patrick Joseph Casey was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Brentwood from 1969 to 1979....	Formerly an Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster (1965–1969). Appointed Bishop of Brentwood on 2 December 1969. Resigned on 12 December 1979 and died on 26 January 1999.
1980	present	Thomas McMahon Thomas McMahon (bishop) Thomas McMahon is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood.-Life:Bishop McMahon grew up in Harlow and attended St. Bede’s Grammar School, Manchester, before training for the priesthood at St. Sulpice, Paris...	Appointed bishop on 16 June 1980 and consecrated on 17 July 1980. Impending retirement during 2011.

External links

• Diocese of Brentwood website