Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon appointed Archbishop of Liverpool

Archbishop-elect McMahon

Pope Francis has appointed the Right Reverend Malcolm McMahon, Bishop of Nottingham, to be the ninth Archbishop of Liverpool. Archbishop-Elect McMahon’s Mass of Installation as Archbishop of Liverpool will be celebrated at 12noon on Thursday 1 May 2014, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.

Speaking at a press conference this morning in the Metropolitan Cathedral Archbishop-Elect McMahon said: "I am honoured and humbled to have been appointed by our Holy Father Pope Francis as Archbishop of Liverpool. I promise to do my best to repay the trust that he has placed in me, and which the priests and people of the Archdiocese of Liverpool are being asked to put in me from today.

"I would like to thank Archbishop Patrick Kelly for his many years of service in this Archdiocese, and Bishop Tom Williams, who has been Apostolic Administrator since Archbishop Kelly’s retirement last year.

"I am grateful to my family and friends, my Dominican brethren, and the priests and people of the Diocese of Nottingham for their support, guidance and friendship. I am naturally sorry to be leaving Nottingham, my home for the last thirteen years, and I will miss the people there; I hope that the prayers of my Diocese will come with me as I prepare to bid them a fond farewell shortly after Easter.

"The Archdiocese of Liverpool has a long and proud history, rich in the tradition of missionary discipleship. We just have to think of the many priests, deacons, religious and laypeople who have done so much to proclaim the Kingdom of God and who gave their lives in his service, and the Archdiocese’s parishes, churches and schools are living witnesses to God’s love for us. The rich and living Catholic heritage of the Archdiocese should inspire us and challenge us, and I know that I can rely on the prayers and support of the Catholic faithful as I take up the challenge which lies ahead of me.

"I am also looking forward to working with my fellow Christians from other Churches and communities, people from all religious traditions, and civic and political leaders, building up the good relationships which already exist between us, in our endeavour to serve the common good.

"From the day of my installation I will do my level best to lead, guide and serve the people of this great Archdiocese, in Liverpool, west Lancashire and the Isle of Man, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. There is much work to be done, because the challenges which we face as a community are real. But we are a people of hope; just as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is visible for miles around, speaking to us of God’s presence in our midst, I pray that all of us in the Archdiocese of Liverpool will be living signs of God’s eternal love, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in all that we say and do.

"I ask for the prayers of our heavenly patrons, Our Blessed Lady Immaculate, Saint Joseph and Saint Kentigern, and the entire Catholic community as I begin my ministry as Archbishop of Liverpool, and I assure you of my prayers in return. Let us make the words of Pope John Paul II, spoken here in the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1982, our own:

“Send forth your Spirit, O Lord! Renew our hearts and minds with the gifts of light and truth. Renew our homes and families with the gifts of unity and joy. Renew our cities and our countries with true justice and lasting peace.”’

Bishop Thomas Williams, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Liverpool welcomed the Archbishop-Elect saying: "I have to say on behalf of Archbishop Emeritus Patrick and the priests and people of the Archdiocese how pleased we are to welcome Archbishop-Elect Malcolm. We have always been well blessed with our Archbishops and are grateful and appreciative of the gifts and talents and service given by Archbishop Emeritus Patrick.

"We welcome Archbishop-Elect Malcolm with open arms and fully commit ourselves to him in a spirit of brotherly love and service. We know he is a Londoner and an Arsenal supporter but nevertheless we welcome him unconditionally."

Monsignor Thomas McGovern, Vicar General of the Diocese of Nottingham, paid tribute to the work of Bishop McMahon in the Diocese: "All of us in the Diocese of Nottingham are sorry to be losing Bishop Malcolm after over thirteen years as our Bishop. Since he came to us in December 2000, he has become a well-loved and well-respected shepherd, and we will miss him."

He said the bishop will celebrate two farewell Masses in St Barnabas' Cathedral, Nottingham, on 16 and 28 April.

"The priests, deacons, religious and laypeople of our Diocese will look back on his ministry here with great affection, and Bishop Malcolm can be assured of our prayers for him as he prepares to take up his duties as Archbishop of Liverpool, where we hope that he will be very happy. I am sure that his kind personality, good sense of humour and commitment to social justice will endear him very quickly to the priests and people of his new Archdiocese, and that they will be richly blessed by his presence among them."

Biography

The Most Rev Malcolm Patrick McMahon OP was born and brought up in London, the second of three brothers. When he left school, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. He then worked in the transport industry before joining the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1976.

He made his religious profession in 1977, and studied philosophy at Blackfriars, Oxford and theology at Heythrop College, London. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Basil Hume on 26th June 1982.

He lived in Holy Cross Priory, Leicester between 1984 - 1985, during which time he served as Catholic Chaplain to Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University), before moving to St Dominic’s, Haverstock Hill, in north London. He later served as Parish Priest of St Dominic’s, Newcastle-upon-Tyne before returning to St Dominic’s, Haverstock Hill as parish priest. In 1992, he was elected Prior Provincial of the English Province of the Order of Preachers; having served for two terms as Prior Provincial, in 2000 he was elected Prior of Blackfriars, Oxford.

On 7 November 2000, Pope John Paul II appointed him ninth Bishop of Nottingham, and he was ordained to the episcopate by Bishop James McGuinness in St Barnabas’ Cathedral, Nottingham on 8th December 2000.

Archbishop-Elect McMahon is Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Department of Education and Formation, the Catholic Education Service (CES) and the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CATEW). He is also National President of Pax Christi, the International Catholic Movement for Peace.

It was announced that Archbishop-Elect McMahon had been appointed ninth Archbishop of Liverpool on Friday 21 March 2014. He will be installed as Archbishop on Thursday 1 May 2014, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker.