Pope Francis has appointed Bishop John Arnold, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster, as Bishop of Salford. He will succeed Bishop Terence Brain who was appointed in 1997.
Bishop Arnold was ordained priest in July 1983 and after completing further studies in Rome he was appointed to Westminster Cathedral as a chaplain with responsibilities for the Westminster Hospital in 1985. In 1989 he was appointed as sub-administrator of Westminster Cathedral. In 1993 he became parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George in Enfield and remained there until 2001, when he was appointed as Chancellor and Vicar General of the Archdiocese.
Bishop Arnold was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster on 3rd February 2006, with responsibility for the pastoral care of the deaneries of Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Haringey, and Harrow.
On hearing of his appointment, Bishop Arnold said he accepted it “with much trepidation” but would do all he could “to serve the people, priests, and religious of the Church of this Diocese as we all seek to respond to Pope Francis’ call to be ‘missionary disciples’.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said he “rejoice[d] in his appointment” as the next Bishop of Salford, “a major responsibility for which he is well suited.” He said the archdiocese thanked him “most sincerely for all his immense contribution” to the life of the diocese.
Bishop Brain said Bishop John has “great gifts” to share and that he had “every confidence that he will be happy within the family of God of Salford diocese.”
The diocese is centred on the city of Salford, a large industrial centre that neighbours Manchester. The two cities lie at the southern end of the Diocese, which stretches north into Lancashire, west towards Liverpool, south towards northern Cheshire, and east towards the Pennines. It is within the Ecclesiastical Province of Liverpool.
