Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Co-adjutor for Lancaster



FEB. 12, 2008 (Zenit.org).-
Benedict XVI appointed Augustinian Father Michael Campbell as the coadjutor
bishop of Lancaster.
With this appointment he will be the eventual successor of Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue. Bishop O'Donoghue turns 75 -- the retirement age for bishops stipulated in canon law -- in 2009.
Michael Campbell was born in Larne, Northern Ireland, in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1971.
Lancaster's population of about 1.2 million has some 124,256 Catholics, served by 179 priests, 50 permanent deacons and 178 religious.


The Catholic Church in England and Wales revamped website doesn't carry any news about the report, though the Lancaster Diocesan website does. I don't know many journalists but the ones I do meet always complain that getting information about what was happening in the Church in the UK was like getting blood out of a stone.

The Church is in the communications business, if only we could supply the facts, answer questions intelligently, we might end up with less antagonism from journalists.

I remember speaking to one young woman who said, "If you have a deadline, and you spend a half hour on the net and the same amount of time trying to get something on the phone, and you come up with nothing or are just passed from pillar to post, your writing tends to show your irritation, or even your hostility. "Blood" and "stone" often mirror "information" and "Catholic Church"." The problem there is no central, and effective, information service.

5 comments:

PETER JULIAN EYMARD said...

The appointment of the co-adjutor for Lancaster appeared on the webite for the diocese yesterday. You have obviously not looked at the correct one.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Peter,
Thank you, I searched for it but didn't see the huge headline flashed across the front of the site, though I did do a search for "Coadjutor" and didn't come up with anything.

I have corrected my mistake.

Dr. Peter H. Wright said...

The announcement was posted in the Bollettino, yesterday, 12 February 2008.

As usual, the Nomina is followed by a resume of his birthplace, education, his religious profession, his academic qualifications, and the positions he has held.

Not bad for the Vatican !

(Admittedly, the Bollettino still needs livening up a bit.)

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

I think I looked at that photo for fully fiften seconds before I figured out what it was.

I kept thinking, "Why is that guy squeezing red juice out of that kiwi fruit?"

Sorry.

Clewed out.

Anonymous said...

The Bishops have been reading your blog, Father. Mention of the new appointment is on the right hand side of the website with details and photo within.

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