New Bishop for prisons

Bishop Richard Moth

The Bishop of Salford, Terence Brain has stepped down from his role as liaison Bishop for Prisons, he is succeeded by the Bishop of the Forces, Richard Moth.

Catholic Bishops’ Prisons Adviser, Monsignor Malachy Keegan said: “Bishop Terence has very wisely led and supported us in our work during periods of great change in Prison Chaplaincy philosophy, structure and practise. His warmth, kindness and humility, coupled with his capacity to keep us focused on exactly why we are sent by the Church to minister in prisons, has characterised his presence among us. Please pray in thanksgiving to the Lord for his courageous and insightful leadership during all those years as our liaison bishop.

“I’m delighted to say that Bishop Richard Moth succeeds Bishop Terence as our new liaison Bishop for Prisons. Bishop Richard is the Bishop for the Armed Forces, so he is familiar with some of the issues we face in working within publicly-funded State institutions while remaining faithful to our own Catholic identity. As Vicar General in the Archdiocese of Southwark, he was always very supportive of the work of prison chaplains. We look forward to working with him and please pray for him as he begins his new work among us.”

The role of the Catholic Liaison Bishop for Prisons in England and Wales is to oversee and support the work of prison chaplains. He does this specifically by working closely with the Catholic Bishops' Prisons Adviser who is responsible for the day to day provision of Catholic Sacramental and Pastoral care in prisons. There are presently a record number of Catholic prison chaplains, some 220, working in 142 prisons.

Source: CCN