The Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of Northampton

Northampton

Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...

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 Northampton

Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton

The Diocese of Northampton is one of the 22 Roman Catholic dioceses in England and Wales and a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of Westminster. Its see is in Northampton...

 in the Province of Westminster, England.

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 Northampton

Northampton

Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...

 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 in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury

Northampton Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton and mother church of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and that part of Berkshire ...

.

The current bishop is the Right Reverend Peter Doyle

Peter John Haworth Doyle

Peter John Haworth Doyle is the twelfth and current Roman Catholic Bishop of Northampton.-Early life:Doyle was born on 3 May 1944 in Wilpshire, Lancashire, the son of John Robert Doyle and his wife Alice Gertrude He was educated at St Ignatius' College, Stamford Hill, London, before ordination as...

, who was ordained bishop on 28 June 2005.

History

The Apostolic Vicariate

Apostolic vicariate

An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...

 of the Eastern District of England was created in 1840 out of the Midland District

Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District

The Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District was the title given to the Bishop who headed the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England which was known as the Vicariate Apostolic of the Midland District from 1688 and 1840, then the Central District from 1840 to...

 (which was renamed the Central District) and a couple of counties out of the London District

Vicar Apostolic of the London District

The Vicar Apostolic of the London District was the title given to the bishop who headed an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England, the Vicariate Apostolic of the London District, from 1688 to 1850.-Background:...

. The Eastern District consisted of the counties of Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...

 (with the Isle of Ely

Isle of Ely

The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...

), Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...

, Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...

, Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

, Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...

, Rutland

Rutland

Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....

, and Suffolk

Suffolk

Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

, all from the former Midland District, and the counties of Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....

 and Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

 from the London District.

On the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy

Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae is the incipit of the papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to the dioceses, as...

 in England and Wales

England and Wales

England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...

 by Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

 in 1850, most of the Eastern District became the Diocese of Northampton

Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton

The Diocese of Northampton is one of the 22 Roman Catholic dioceses in England and Wales and a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of Westminster. Its see is in Northampton...

, with the Vicar Apostolic the Eastern District, William Wareing

William Wareing

Bishop William Wareing was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton.Born 14 February 1791 in London, and after studying at Oscott College, William Wareing was ordained as a priest on 28 September 1815, aged 24, by Bishops Thomas Walsh, Nicholas Wiseman and George Hilary...

, appointed the first bishop of the diocese. The remainder of the Eastern District (Lincolnshire and Rutland) became part of the Diocese of Nottingham. Through the Local Government Act of 1972

Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

, a small area of Buckinghamshire became part of Berkshire

Berkshire

Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...

, and Huntingdonshire and the Isle of Ely merged into Cambridgeshire. The Diocese of Northampton lost territory (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk) on the creation of the Diocese of East Anglia

Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia

The Diocese of East Anglia is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church covering the counties of Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk and also Peterborough in eastern England. The East Anglia diocese makes up part of the Catholic Association Pilgrimage....

 in 1976.

Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District

Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1840	1850	William Wareing William Wareing Bishop William Wareing was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton.Born 14 February 1791 in London, and after studying at Oscott College, William Wareing was ordained as a priest on 28 September 1815, aged 24, by Bishops Thomas Walsh, Nicholas Wiseman and George Hilary...	Appointed Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District and Titular Bishop of Areopolis on 5 June 1840 and consecrated on 21 September 1840. Became the first Bishop of Northampton on 29 September 1850.

Bishops of Northampton

Bishops of Northampton
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1850	1858	William Wareing William Wareing Bishop William Wareing was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton.Born 14 February 1791 in London, and after studying at Oscott College, William Wareing was ordained as a priest on 28 September 1815, aged 24, by Bishops Thomas Walsh, Nicholas Wiseman and George Hilary...	Formerly Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District (1840–1850). 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 Northampton on 29 September 1850. Resigned on 21 December 1858 and appointed Titular Bishop of Rhithymna. Died on 26 December 1865.
1858	1879	Francis Kerril Amherst Francis Kerril Amherst Francis Kerril Amherst was Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton He was the eldest son of William Kerril Amherst, of Little Parndon, Essex and Mary Louisa, daughter of Francis Fortescue Turville, of Bosworth Hall, Leicestershire...	Appointed bishop on 14 May 1858 and consecrated on 4 July 1858. Resigned on 16 October 1879 and appointed Titular Bishop of Sozusa in Palaestina. Died on 21 August 1883.
1880	1907	Arthur George Riddell Arthur George Riddell Bishop Arthur George Riddell was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Northampton from 1880 until his death in 1907....	Appointed bishop on 27 April 1880 and consecrated on 9 June 1880. Died in office on 15 September 1907.
1908	1921	Frederick William Keating Frederick William Keating Frederick William Keating was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served firstly as Bishop of Northampton from 1908 to 1921, then Archbishop of Liverpool from 1921 to 1928....	Appointed bishop on 5 February 1908 and consecrated on 25 February 1908. Translated to the archbishopric of Liverpool Archbishop of Liverpool The Archbishop of Liverpool heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.-History:...  on 13 June 1921.
1921	1932	Dudley Charles Cary-Elwes Dudley Charles Cary-Elwes Dudley Charles Cary-Elwes was Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Northampton from 1921 to 1932....	Appointed bishop on 21 November 1921 and consecrated on 15 December 1921. Died in office on 1 May 1932.
1933	1939	Laurence William Youens Laurence William Youens Laurence William Youens was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Northampton from 1933 to 1939....	Appointed bishop on 16 June 1933 and consecrated on 25 July 1933. Died in office on 14 November 1939.
1940	1967	Thomas Leo Parker Thomas Leo Parker Thomas Leo Parker was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Northampton from 1940 to 1967....	Appointed bishop on 14 December 1940 and consecrated on 11 February 1941. Resigned on 17 January 1967 and appointed Titular Bishop of Magarmel. Resigned the titular see on 7 December 1970. Died on 25 March 1975.
1967	1982	Charles Alexander Grant Charles Alexander Grant Charles Alexander Grant was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Northampton from 1967 to 1982....	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Northampton Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton The Diocese of Northampton is one of the 22 Roman Catholic dioceses in England and Wales and a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of Westminster. Its see is in Northampton...  and Titular Bishop of Alinda (1961–1967). Appointed Bishop of Northampton on 14 March 1967. Retired on 16 February 1982 and died on 24 April 1989.
1982	1988	Francis Gerard Thomas Francis Gerard Thomas Francis Gerard Thomas was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Northampton from 1982 to 1988....	Appointed bishop on 27 August 1982 and consecrated on 29 September 1982. Died in office on 25 December 1988.
1990	2001	Patrick Leo McCartie Patrick Leo McCartie Patrick Leo McCartie , with no relation to Sir Patrick-Francis Leo, was born the son of Patrick Leo and Hannah McCartie, was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and Bishop of Northampton, now an Emeritus.After seminary studies at Oscott College, Birmingham, he was...	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Birmingham and Titular Bishop of Elmhama (1977–1990). Appointed Bishop of Northampton on 20 February 1990. Retired on 29 March 2001.
2001	2003	Kevin John Patrick McDonald	Appointed bishop on 29 March 2001 and consecrated on 2 May 2001. Translated to the archbishopric of Southwark Archbishop of Southwark The Archbishop of Southwark is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Southwark....  on 8 December 2003.
2003	2005	See vacant
2005	present	Peter John Haworth Doyle Peter John Haworth Doyle Peter John Haworth Doyle is the twelfth and current Roman Catholic Bishop of Northampton.-Early life:Doyle was born on 3 May 1944 in Wilpshire, Lancashire, the son of John Robert Doyle and his wife Alice Gertrude He was educated at St Ignatius' College, Stamford Hill, London, before ordination as...	Formerly 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....  of Diocese of Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese in England. The episcopal see is the Portsmouth Cathedral and is headed by the Bishop of Portsmouth... (1968–2005). Appointed Bishop of Northampton on 24 May 2005 and consecrated on 28 June 2005.