Pope Appoints new Bishop of Motherwell

creating

Marist Father to be New Bishop Brentwood

Vatican City, 14 April 2014 (VIS) ? The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Alan Williams, S.M., as bishop of Brentwood (area 3,967, population 2,789,000, Catholics 225,700, priests 154, permanent deacons 11, religious 293), England. The bishop-elect was born in Blackburn, England in 1951, gave his solemn vows in 1976, and was ordained a priest in 1983. After teaching at St. Mary's College, Blackburn, he served as director of the national shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. He was subsequently chaplain at Sheffield Hallam University and priest of the parish of Sidcup in Southwark, as well as regional superior of the Marist Fathers. In 2008 he returned to the role of director of the national shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, in which he continues to serve. He succeeds Bishop Thomas McMahon, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.