The Bishop of Lancaster is the Ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster

Diocese of Lancaster

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese centred around Lancaster Cathedral in the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England....

 in the Province of Liverpool, England.

The diocese covers an area of and consists of the County of Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

 together with the Hundred

Hundred (division)

A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...

s of Lonsdale

Lonsdale

-People:*Angela Lonsdale*Bruce Lonsdale*Christopher Lonsdale*Corrine Lonsdale*David Lonsdale*Derrick Lonsdale*Earl of Lonsdale*Edmund Lonsdale*Frederick Lonsdale, English dramatist*Gordon Arnold Lonsdale*Gordon Lonsdale*Harvey Lonsdale Elmes...

, Amounderness

Amounderness

Amounderness was a hundred of Lancashire in North West England. Formerly, the name had been used for territories now in Lancashire and north of the River Ribble that had been included in Domesday Yorkshire.-Etymology and history:...

 and Fylde

Fylde

Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes...

 in the north west of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

. The see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 is in the city of Lancaster

Lancaster, Lancashire

Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...

 where the bishop's seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter

Lancaster Cathedral

Lancaster Cathedral, also known as The Cathedral Church of St Peter and Saint Peter's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It towers above its superb location overlooking Lancaster and Lancaster Canal...

.

The diocese was erected on 22 November 1924. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Michael Campbell

Michael Gregory Campbell

Michael Gregory Campbell, OSA is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Bishop of Lancaster.-Publications:Bishop Campbell is the author of a number of book, all published by St Pauls, London:...

, O.S.A.

Order of Saint Augustine

The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...

, the 6th Bishop of Lancaster, who was installed on 1 May 2009. He was previously coadjutor bishop

Coadjutor bishop

A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...

.

List of the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster, England

Roman Catholic Bishops of Lancaster
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1924	1938	Thomas Wulstan Pearson Thomas Wulstan Pearson Thomas Wulstan Pearson, O.S.B. was an English prelate who served as the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster from 1924 to 1938.... , O.S.B. Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...	Previously the Prior Prior Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...  of Ealing Ealing Abbey Ealing Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastic foundation in West London, England, and part of the English Benedictine Congregation.-History:...  (1916–1925). Appointed Appointment of Catholic bishops The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...  bishop on 18 December 1924 and consecrated on 24 February 1925. Died in office on 1 December 1938.
1939	1961	Thomas Edward Flynn Thomas Flynn (bishop of Lancaster) Thomas Edward Flynn was an English prelate who served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster from 1939 to 1961.Born in Portsmouth on 6 January 1880, he was ordained to the priesthood on 13 June 1908. He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Lancaster by the Holy See on 12 June 1939...	Appointed bishop on 12 June 1939 and consecrated on 24 July 1939. Died in office on 3 November 1961.
1962	1985	Brian Charles Foley Brian Charles Foley Brian Charles Foley was an English prelate who served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster from 1962 to 1985.Born in Ilford, Essex on 25 May 1910, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brentwood on 25 July 1937. He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Lancaster by the Holy See on...	Appointed bishop on 26 April 1962 and consecrated on 13 June 1962; retired on 22 May 1985; died on 23 December 1999.
1985	2000	John (Jack) Brewer	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Shrewsbury {1971-1983). Appointed coadjutor bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  of Lancaster on 17 November 1983 and succeeded diocesan bishop on 22 May 1985. Died in office on 10 June 2000.
2001	2009	Patrick O'Donoghue	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Westminster Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...  1993–2001. Appointed Bishop of Lancaster on 5 June 2001 and installed on 4 July 2001. Retired 1 May 2009.
2009	Present	Michael Gregory Campbell Michael Gregory Campbell Michael Gregory Campbell, OSA is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Bishop of Lancaster.-Publications:Bishop Campbell is the author of a number of book, all published by St Pauls, London:... , O.S.A. Order of Saint Augustine The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...	Appointed coadjutor bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  of Lancaster on 12 February 2008 and succeeded diocesan bishop on 1 May 2009.

See also

• Roman Catholicism in England and Wales