Pope Francis has appointed Mgr James Curry as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Ramsbiria (Ramsbiriensis).
Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: ‘I express my warmest thanks to Pope Francis for the appointment of Mgr James Curry as an Auxiliary Bishop for service in this Diocese. His appointment, I am sure, will be widely welcomed. I welcome it myself, with gratitude to him for his generous response. He brings to this role a long experience of life in the Diocese and the pastoral wisdom of many years of priestly ministry.
‘Please keep Bishop-elect Curry in your prayers. Appointment as a bishop is a call to service in a new and demanding way. Let us accompany him with our prayers as he prepares for his Episcopal Ordination.’
Bishop-elect Jim Curry, who has been serving as Parish Priest of Our Lady of Victories in Kensington since 2008, said: ‘When I received news of my appointment by the Holy Father to serve in this new way my first reactions were of shock and surprise. Then the words of St Paul came to mind: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
‘I can’t help but recall all those who have blessed my life and continue to do so.
‘My parents, now with God, and their resilient faith; my family in London, Ireland and beyond; my teachers and friends, long-standing and new; the staff and community of Allen Hall Seminary; the clergy, religious women and men who have graced my life; the parishioners, in their variety, I have been called to serve in my 38 years as a priest of the Diocese of Westminster. All these, and others besides, have enriched my understanding of God’s loving kindness and purposes.
‘To all fellow-pilgrims and those of other beliefs, whose friendship, kindness and hospitality have left a lasting imprint on my life, thank you.
‘I ask you all for your prayers; be assured of mine.’
The Episcopal Ordination will take place in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 18th June 2024 at 12 noon.
Bishop-elect Curry joins Bishops John Sherrington, Nicholas Hudson and Paul McAleenan as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Westminster. The Diocese includes the London Boroughs north of the Thames, between the River Lea to the east and the Borough of Hillingdon to the west, and includes the county of Hertfordshire to the north and, to the south, the Borough of Spelthorne in Surrey.
Short biography
Born on 1st Jun 1960
Attended Cardinal Griffin/St Philip Howard School, Poplar
Studied for the priesthood at Allen Hall Seminary, London
Ordained priest by Cardinal Hume on 17th May 1986
Awarded STB (magna cum laude) by University of Leuven (1993)
Assistant Priest at Edmonton (1986-90) and Notting Hill (1990-94)
Private Secretary to Cardinal Hume and Cardinal Murphy O’Connor (1994-2002)
Parish Priest of Chiswick (2002-08) and Kensington (2008-present)
Appointed Chaplain to His Holiness (Monsignor) in 2001
Chair of the Council of Priests of the Diocese of Westminster (2012-present)
Episcopal Vicar for the West London pastoral area (2013-16)
Chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London (2020-21)
Prior of the Westminster Section of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre KCHS
Trustee of the Friends of the Holy Land and Pilgrimage People
