Bishop's Message: Welcome to our Three New Permanent Deacons!

On Saturday 4 July 2026, it was my great joy to ordain Rev. Paul Briers, Rev. John Bennett and Rev. Christopher Houghton to the Permanent Diaconate for our Diocese at St Peter's Cathedral, Lancaster.

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Following their ordination, Rev. Paul will begin his ministry at The Good Shepherd, Workington, Rev. John at Holy Cross, Kirkham, and Rev. Christopher at Our Lady of the Lakes and St Charles, Keswick, serving alongside their parish priests and the people of those parish communities.

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The ordination of permanent deacons is always a cause of great thanksgiving. We give thanks to Almighty God for the generous response these men have made to His call and for the many people who have accompanied them on their journey to ordained ministry.

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The permanent diaconate is a ministry of service, rooted in the Gospel and expressed through service of the Word, the altar and those in need. In our parishes, deacons proclaim and preach the Gospel, assist at the celebration of the Mass, baptise, witness marriages, lead funeral services, bring Holy Communion to the sick and housebound, and supportthe pastoral life of the parish. Through their ministry they remind us of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.

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I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the Ordination Mass and helped to make it such a joyful and prayerful celebration. My gratitude extends to the clergy, altar servers, musicians, choir, readers and the many volunteers whose generosity made the day so memorable.

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I also wish to thank everyone who has supported these men throughout their years of formation. I am especially grateful to Rev .Dr Bernard Farrell-Roberts, Director of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate, for his dedicated leadership, guidance and encouragement. My thanks also go to the formation team, spiritual directors, the priests who have accompanied them, and to their wives, families and friends for their constant love and support. 

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I am equally grateful to the parish communities that have welcomed and encouraged them during their formation, especially The Good Shepherd, Workington, Holy Cross, Kirkham, and Our Lady of the Lakes and St Charles, Keswick. Your friendship, encouragement and faithful prayers have played an important part in preparing them for this day and are a wonderful expression of the shared life of our diocesan family.

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As they begin their ordained ministry, I ask you to continue to remember them, together with their wives and families, in your prayers. 

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May the Holy Spirit strengthen them with wisdom, compassion and joy as they serve Christ and His people. In the spirit of my episcopal motto, Holiness before Peace, may they always seek holiness first, trusting that through faithful service they will become instruments of Christ's peace in the communities they are called to serve.

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This happy occasion is also a reminder to continue praying for vocations to the priesthood, the permanent diaconate and the consecrated life. May the Lord continue to call men and women to serve His Church, and may our parishes always be places where those vocations are recognised, encouraged and nurtured.

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Please join me in giving thanks to Almighty God for the gift of these new deacons. May the Lord bless Rev. Paul, Rev. John and Rev. Christopher abundantly as they begin their ministry in our Diocese.

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With every blessing,

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✠ Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster

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Welcome to our newly ordained Priest - Fr Stephen Bamber

On Saturday 27th June 2026, it was my great privilege and joy to ordain Fr Stephen Bamber to the Sacred Priesthood for the Diocese of Lancaster at St Peter’s Cathedral.

The ordination of a priest is always a moment of profound thanksgiving for our diocesan family. We give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of Fr Stephen’s vocation and for his generous response to the Lord’s call to serve His Church.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to this joyful celebration, especially the clergy, altar servers, musicians, choir, readers, volunteers and all who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the Ordination Mass such a prayerful and memorable occasion.

I also wish to thank all those who have accompanied Fr Stephen throughout his journey to the priesthood. We are grateful to the staff and community of the Venerable English College in Rome, to the priests who have guided and supported him, and to his family and friends whose encouragement has sustained him over many years.

I am particularly grateful to the parish communities where Fr Stephen has served during his formation. Your welcome, encouragement and prayers have played an important part in preparing him for priestly ministry. Thank you also to every parish across our Diocese that has remembered him in prayer. Your prayers have been a source of strength and a powerful reminder that every vocation is nurtured by the faith of the whole Church.

As Fr Stephen begins his priestly ministry, I ask you to continue to keep him in your prayers. Pray that the Lord will grant him wisdom, humility and joy as he proclaims the Gospel, celebrates the Sacraments and serves God’s people with generosity and compassion.

This happy occasion is also an invitation to pray for new vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life. May the Lord continue to call men and women to serve Him, and may our parishes be places where those vocations are recognised, encouraged and nurtured.

Please join me in giving thanks to God for the gift of Fr Stephen’s priesthood, and may the Lord bless him abundantly throughout his ministry.

✠ Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster

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Bishops invite all people to work for peace and justice and ask Catholics to join them in 'redoubling' prayers

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The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales met at the English College's Convento Palazzola just outside Rome from 18-23 April for a one-day plenary assembly and week-long ongoing formation as Pope Leo XIV followed his Apostolic Journey through Africa to its conclusion.

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They issued this statement as a sign of solidarity with the Holy Father, asking for Catholics to pray with them for an enduring peace with justice in the world's conflict zones:

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“We stand in solidarity with the Holy Father in his sustained witness and unshakeable commitment to the Gospel of Peace.

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“We embrace our responsibility to act as bridge-builders and peacemakers and call upon the faithful, whom we serve in the dioceses of England and Wales, to join us in redoubling our prayers and advocacy for peace and justice.

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“We pray that the leaders of all peoples at war open their minds and hearts to the dialogue and encounter necessary to attain a peace which disarms and endures.

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“Hope is central to our Christian faith. In Eastertide, we are reminded that we are called to build a future sustained by the Risen Christ. As Pope Leo said in Equatorial Guinea: ‘There is hunger for a future imbued with hope that is capable of engendering a new sense of justice and producing fruits of peace and fraternity. This is not an unknown future that we must passively await, but rather one that we ourselves are called to build with God’s grace’." i

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Prayer for Peace of Pope Saint John XXIII

Lord Jesus Christ,

who are called the Prince of Peace,

who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,

who so often said,

"Peace to you,"

grant us peace.

Make all men and women witnesses of truth,

justice, and brotherly love.

Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.

Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee

and defend the great gift of peace.

May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters.

May longed-for peace blossom forth

and reign always over us all.

Amen

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i Homily of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mongomo), Wednesday, 22 April 2026.

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