Sufficit tibi gratia mea (2 Cor 12:9)
“My grace is sufficient for you”

The Most Reverend John Francis Sherrington, Archbishop-elect of Liverpool, was born in Leicester on 5 January 1958.

Having grown up in a Catholic family with roots in Lancashire and nineteenth century Ireland, Archbishop-elect John Sherrington’s priestly vocation matured through university (under the influence of Saint John Fisher), working in London and the young adults ‘Cellar’ group at Westminster Cathedral.

Pilgrimages on the Jumbulance to Lourdes gave him a deep love for the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and the call of Saint Bernadette where the sick and the weakest are the most special. This was instrumental in deepening his dedication to defend the gift of human life in his work for the Bishops’ Conference.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nottingham in 1987, and served in parishes, studied moral theology in Rome, and served on the staff of two seminaries – All Hallows College, Dublin and St. John’s Seminary Wonersh.

In 2011, after much-loved parish work in Derby and Nottingham, he was appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster. His titular See of Hilta, now buried by sand in Tunisia and part of the Metropolitan See of Carthage, was a reminder of prayer for persecuted Christians.

On being appointed as Archbishop of Liverpool, he said:

“I thank Pope Francis for his trust in me on my appointment as Archbishop of Liverpool which I accept with humility and joy. We pray for our Holy Father at this time of sickness as he recuperates and prepares for Holy Week and Easter.

“I have enjoyed serving God’s holy people, especially clergy and parishes in Hertfordshire and North London, in the Diocese of Westminster. The celebration of confirmation has always been a special moment to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit in each young person’s life and the call to serve God and neighbour.

“I thank Cardinal Vincent Nichols for the responsibilities entrusted to me for service of the Church in Westminster. This includes the work of Catholic schools and education as well as and overseeing the curial central services of the diocese as Moderator of the Curia. I have tried to do so with prayer, in diligent service, and joy. I ask forgiveness for any shortcomings and failures.

“I look forward to serving as shepherd of the historic and faith-filled Church in the Archdiocese of Liverpool which is rich in its heritage of the English martyrs, Irish immigration, and now looks to the future.

“Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP has served Liverpool Archdiocese with love and generosity and I am honoured to succeed him. I am pleased he is staying close ‘in our Liverpool home’ and close in prayer is Archbishop Patrick Kelly.

“I look forward to working with Bishop Tom Neylon and Bishop Emeritus Tom Williams. I have a lot to learn about the Archdiocese: its geography, its people, and its history. I look forward to building on the foundations already laid in the synodal pastoral plan ‘Together on the Road’ to serve the Church and bring the hope and joy of Jesus Christ to all people. Coming from Leicester, with its football team ‘The Foxes’, I can only look with envy to the top of the Premier League.

“In this Jubilee Year, we are a people living the hope of Christ who has loved us, saved us and walks with us. We share this hope with other Christians and people of all faiths and good will. I welcome meeting and building friendships with leaders, both Christian and of other faiths, which has always been a strong dimension of the Church here. May we receive the fire of the Holy Spirit into our hearts to bring Christ to others.

“I ask your prayers and the intercession of our patron saints, Our Lady Immaculate, St Joseph and St Kentigern, and the martyr saints of the Diocese.”

Read the news of the announcement of Archbishop-elect Sherrington as the Tenth Archbishop of Liverpool.