Catholics in 2026 New Years Honours List

Buckingham Palace by Dwi Wahyu Pagau on Unsplash

A Royal nanny and the businessman who rescued Celtic FC are among the Catholics named In the 2026 New Year Honours list. The Catholic recipients include:

Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, MVO: The long-serving nanny to Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order. She is widely recognized as a devout Catholic.

Fergus McCann, CBE: The businessman and philanthropist, known for his Catholic faith and for saving Celtic FC (a club with deep Catholic roots), was awarded a CBE for services to the economy and charity.

Anita Frances Maria Bath, OBE: Chief Executive Officer of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust (serving Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland). She was awarded an OBE for her services to education.

Lady Rita Rae, CBE: Chair of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CRSSA) and Vice Chair of St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society, has been appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Ruth Flynn, MBE: Director of Sixth Form at La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School. She received an MBE for her services to further education.

Thomas Brendan Tapping: Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust was recognized for his services to education. Some reports list him as receiving an OBE, while others record a BEM (British Empire Medal) for his local impact.

Other Christian awardees include:

Alice Florence Potter (MBE): Awarded for services to policing and the community in Surrey. She serves as a police volunteer with the Christian Police Association and as a chaplain with the Surrey Police.

John Francis Towers (MBE): Headmaster of Barrow Hills School, Godalming, recognized for services to education.
Roger Evans (MBE): Honoured for his work in ecclesiastical heritage preservation.

Mark Kenneth Russell (OBE): Chief Executive of The Children's Society, a national charity with roots in the Church of England, recognized for services to charity.

Michael Harris (MBE): Recognized for his contributions to music at St Giles' Cathedral.

Dee Dyas (OBE): Emeritus Professor of the History of Christianity, honoured for services to theology and heritage.

Robert Hoy, MBE: Awarded for services to water engineering in Rwanda, specifically for his work with the Anglican Dioceses of Cyangugu and Byumba, as well as Christian Engineers in Development.

Katherine Drew, BEM: Recognized for services to UK/Solomon Islands relations in her role as Executive Director of The Melanesian Mission UK, an Anglican mission agency.

Christopher and Rosey Shelbourne, BEM: Awarded for services to disadvantaged communities in Uganda and Ethiopia as Directors and Founding Trustees of Christian Partners in Africa.

Mark Collier, MBE: Honoured for services to the provision of drinking water in Africa as a Missionary and Trustee for Friends in Action International.

Charlotte Elizabeth Manley, DCVO: Appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her service as the recently retired Chapter Clerk of the College of St George, Windsor Castle.

For a complete list of all 1,157 recipients, visit the official 2026 New Year Honours Gazette:
www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/104423