A thousand people including most of the Roman Catholic bishops in this country packed Clifton Cathedral for the Episcopal Ordination of the new Bishop of Clifton.
Declan Lang, who has been Bishop for 23 years has stepped down for health reasons. He has been succeeded by Bosco MacDonald who was Dean of Clifton Cathedral. He is now the tenth Bishop of Clifton.
Before the Ordination Service, which lasted more than two hours, Bishop Bosco said: “It is a huge honour to be offered such a responsible job.”
Bishop Bosco has many years of pastoral experience, having worked in a number of parishes both as an assistant priest, parish priest and cathedral dean.
Bishop Declan said of him: “He brings much experience to his new ministry within the diocese which he will carry out with dedication and faithfulness. I am sure he will also be a valuable member to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales as we discern the way forward in a changing society.”
The Diocese of Clifton covers Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.