Roman Catholic Duty Priest appointed to Houses of Parliament

Canon Pat Browne

Source: Archbishops House

Archbishop Vincent Nichols has announced the appointment of Canon Pat Browne as the Parliamentary Roman Catholic Duty Priest to the Houses of Parliament.

The appointment was made following requests from members of the Palace of Westminster for a Roman Catholic Priest to be available in a pastoral role.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: "I am very grateful for the assistance of the Speaker John Bercow and the Speaker's Chaplain, Canon Robert Wright, for their co-operation in arranging this appointment. Canon Pat Browne will be available not only to MPs and Peers but also to the many Catholics who work in the Palace of Westminster. "

Canon Pat Browne will remain as Parish Priest of Holy Apostles, Pimlico.

(additional update)

Canon Patrick Browne was born in 1948 in Ratoath, Co Meath, Ireland. He is the eldest child of the late Jack and Lucy Browne and has four brothers and two sisters.

Father Pat studied for the Priesthood, at the Jesuit Apostolic School at Mungret College Limerick for one year. He spent the next six years at All Hallows College Dublin and in 1974 was ordained for the Diocese of Westminster. While he was at All Hallows he also studied Singing at the College of Music, Dublin, under Maura Tyrrell.

He was appointed Assistant Priest at St Edmund's Parish, Edmonton and after three years was transferred to Westminster Cathedral where he was Cathedral Chaplain with particular responsibility for Liturgy for the next eight years.

In 1985 he became Private Secretary to the late Cardinal Basil Hume. In 1990 he was appointed Parish Priest of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Kentish Town. After eight and half years in that role he became Vocations Director and Promoter for the Diocese.

In 2001 he was appointed Parish Priest of Holy Apostles, Pimlico. He also became the first Director of Westminster Diocese's Programme for the Permanent Diaconate, a role which he is now leaving.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, appointed Father Pat a member of the Westminster Cathedral Chapter of Canons in October 2004.