Birmingham celebrates founding bishop

A special sung High Mass to mark the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of William Bernard Ullathorne OSB, the first Catholic Bishop of Birmingham, on 7 May 1806, was celebrated at St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, on Sunday 7 May.

In his homily, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, spoke about the life and ministry of William Bernard Ullathorne, a Benedictine monk, who became the founding bishop of the Archdiocese.

The Archbishop of Birmingham emphasise that Bishop Ullathorne worked tirelessly as the first Bishop of Birmingham, 1850 to 1888. "He was, in the words of Dr Judith Champ, a battler for the Church and for Catholic truth in the public arena."

After Mass, Archbishop Nichols launched a new biography, William Bernard Ullathorne: A Different Kind of Monk, by Dr Judith Champ, (Gracewing), who teaches Church History at Oscott College, the diocesan seminary. Source: Archdiocese of Birmingham