Birmingham: Two new bishops ordained

Bishop Timothy Menezes, Bishop Richard Walker

Source: CBCEW

At the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, ordained two new auxiliary bishops at St Chad’s Cathedral.

Bishop Timothy Menezes and Bishop Richard Walker were ordained bishops in the presence of their families, friends and invited guests.

The former Archbishop of Birmingham, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, attended along with the Catholic bishops of England and Wales. The Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, presented the mandates, issued by Pope Francis, to all present.

Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, traveled from Rome, as did Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states at the Holy See’s Secretariat of State. Bishop Ken Howell of the Diocese of Toowoomba in Australia was also present.

Several ecumenical guests were in the congregation, including Bishop Michael Volland, Bishop of Birmingham, Bishop Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, and Bishop Anne Hollinghurst, Bishop of Aston.

In his homily, Archbishop Longley compared the two bishops ordained at the mother church in Birmingham to “episcopal twins”:

“While the grace of this sacrament draws on the natural gifts of these two priests and shapes their lives and ministries, its primary and enduring purpose is the service, sanctification, and guidance of Christ’s faithful, lay and ordained together.”

“I would invite you in your new episcopal ministry to listen obediently to God’s Word in scripture and in your prayer,” he continued. “Try to tune your ear to what you can hear of God’s voice speaking not only through those you respect and trust, but also through people whose words or attitudes you may not always find easy to accept.”

Bishop Timothy Menezes, titular Bishop of Thugga, has been given pastoral responsibility for Catholic parishes in Staffordshire, Wolverhampton and the Black Country, and Bishop Richard Walker, titular Bishop of Mortlach, has been given pastoral responsibility for parishes in Warwickshire, Coventry and Oxfordshire – while Bishop David Evans continues to serve parishes in Birmingham, Solihull and Worcestershire.

Please keep the bishops and faithful of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in your prayers.

Prayer

The Archbishop of Birmingham encouraged the congregation to ask Our Lady of Mount Carmel to pray for the new bishops.

Flower of Carmel,
Vine loaded with flowers,
Splendor of heaven,
Having children, still a virgin,
No one is like you.

Such a tender mother,
Whom no man knew,
About all the children of Carmel
Grant your favors.
Starfish.

Complete homily
You can read Archbishop Longley’s full homily here:

We are just the clay vessels that hold this treasure.

Today’s celebration is truly remarkable in several ways. It is a moment of exceptional joy in the life of our Archdiocese to receive from the Holy Father the gift of two new bishops who will serve our parishes and school communities and be available to support their brother priests and deacons.

For Bishops-elect Timothy and Richard, their vocations arose and were nurtured within the diocesan presbyterate to which they each belonged for twenty-nine years and twenty-four years respectively. They know they can count on the prayers of the clergy, whom they each served as Vicar General and who have just presented them for ordination here at the Cathedral.

Timothy and Richard, you will also appreciate that today you are being welcomed to the College of Bishops by Bishop William and Bishop David, together with Bishop Stephen and his brother bishops from within and outside England and Wales who are present here in the Cathedral, as well as Bishop Philip Pargeter who is following the ceremony online from Grove House.

The ordination of two bishops together—as episcopal twins—in the mother church of our Archdiocese serves to emphasize the ecclesial nature of what is taking place. While the grace of this sacrament will build upon the natural gifts of these two priests and shape their lives and ministry, its primary and enduring purpose is for the service, sanctification, and guidance of Christ’s faithful, lay and ordained together.

In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul reminds us, “We are but the earthen vessels that hold this treasure,” to make it clear that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. This realization keeps us humble and makes us listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit—the patient, careful listening that bears fruit when we pray—the listening that is at the heart of obedience.

The disposition of obedience is precious for all who are ordained, whether bishop, priest or deacon. It enables one to discern the cardinal points of God’s will in one’s own life and in the lives of others. We know that there will be times when we will have to sacrifice some of our own preferences in order to remain faithful to our vocation to serve. The commitment to celibacy is for us an expression of our sincere desire to be available and ready to serve.

Bishops-elect Timothy and Richard, I would invite you in your new episcopal ministry to listen obediently to God’s Word in the scriptures and in your prayer. Try to tune your ear to what you can hear of God’s voice speaking not only through those you respect and trust, but also through people whose words or actions you may not always find easy to accept.

As a pastor, you will naturally be drawn to some people more than others, whether clergy or lay faithful—perhaps those who share your philosophical, spiritual, or liturgical outlook or your sense of the Church’s mission and priorities. Try to recognize these natural inclinations so that you can be an impartial and compassionate friend to all. This will help you to be a servant and promoter of unity within the Archdiocese and the Church at large.

At times you will bow your heads beneath the Book of the Gospels, submitting to the authority of God’s Word. It is the same Word of God, Christ Himself, who pours out His Holy Spirit upon you, anointing your heads with Chrism and calling you to teach, sanctify and lead the flock in His name – in faithful continuity with the ministry of the many bishops who have cared for the faithful of this Archdiocese before you.

As you prostrate yourselves today, remember the humility of Saint Paul, whose life was humbled on many occasions because of his faithfulness to the Word of God and his concern for all the churches under his care: We are but the earthen vessels that hold this treasure. And as you kneel for the laying on of hands, offer to Our Lord the devotion of an obedient heart, ready to be anointed and invested with the symbols of your new office.

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, connecting us with the Sisters of the Carmel of the Magnificat in Wolverhampton who are praying for you especially today – and they are joining this Mass via livestream. This venerable title of Our Lady also unites us with the Christians of the Holy Land. As bishops, you will share a collegial concern for all the Churches in Israel and Palestine – especially as we seek in England and Wales to support them through the ecumenical work of the Friends of the Holy Land.

At times in the Litany of the Saints, we will invoke the prayers of Our Lady, along with those of our patron Saint Chad and Saint John Henry Newman. By their teachings, but also by the example of their priestly ministry, these two pastors offer a model for all those ordained to serve in the Church today.

The ministry of the bishop to teach, sanctify, and govern after the heart of Christ, is illustrated in one of Cardinal Newman’s sermons. Reflecting on the ministry of St. Paul, he says: He loved his brethren, not only “for Jesus’ sake,” but, to use his own expression, for their sake also. He lived with them, and for them; he was anxious for them; he helped them, and in return sought comfort from them. His mind was like a musical instrument, the harp or viol, whose strings vibrate, though untouched, by the notes which other instruments emit, and he was always, according to his own precept, “rejoicing with them that rejoiced, and weeping with them that weeped;” and thus he was the least masterful of all teachers, and the most gentle and amiable of all rulers.

Like Cardinal Newman, your pastoral concern for others will be attuned to their needs and directed according to what is best for them. You will share and foster a concern for the worldwide mission of the Church in the seven cities and five counties we serve. I know you will also seek opportunities to build friendships and witness to the Gospel with all our fellow Church leaders and to work for the common good with those who lead other faith communities.

May the young men you will confirm become co-accountable with you and all our clergy and religious for living and sharing our faith in Christ with courage and confidence. May those you will ordain to serve as deacons and priests become faithful co-workers and companions along the way. And may the prayers of Our Lady, Saint Chad, and Saint John Henry Newman strengthen you as, through this Sacrament, you receive a share in the priesthood of Christ.