Released on behalf of the Catholic Bishopric of the Forces
Mgr Richard Moth will be ordained Catholic Bishop of the Forces at Westminster Cathedral at 11.30am on Tuesday 29 September 2009.
The Principal Celebrant will be Archbishop Kevin McDonald of Southwark, assisted by Archbishop Michael Bowen, Emeritus Archbishop of Southwark and Bishop Tom Burns, Bishop of Menevia and formerly Bishop of the Forces.
The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz will be in attendance together with Cardinal Keith O’Brien and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor.
There will also be 30 Archbishops and Bishops, four Abbots and over 250 priests and deacons from the Bishopric, the Archdiocese of Southwark and elsewhere.
Cantors for the Litany will be Bro Michael De Klerke and Fr Benedict Hardy from Pluscarden Abbey. Bishop Richard is an Oblate of Pluscarden.
The Bishopric of the Forces is a diocese without geographical boundaries, consisting of Service personnel and their dependants, served by over 40 full-time Catholic Chaplains and a number of TA and Officiating Chaplains. The Chaplains are drawn from dioceses in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Gibraltar and from religious orders. They are seconded to the Bishopric during their military service.
Chaplains are currently serving in the UK including Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus as well as Afghanistan and Iraq. Chaplains are also serving at sea with the Royal Navy.
In addition to his responsibility for service chaplaincy, the Bishop Richard will also become Apostolic Visitor for the Prefecture of the Falkland Islands, which also includes St Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Island, and South Georgia.
