The Bishop

About the Bishop

The Right Reverend Mark Davies, the 11th Bishop of Shrewsbury

The Right Reverend Mark Davies was born in Manchester on 12th May 1959 and baptised at St Richard’s Church, Longsight.

Bishop Davies was educated at St Richard’s Infant School and St Robert’s Primary School in Manchester and at Broadstone Hall County Primary School and St Anne’s High School in Stockport before beginning his training for the priesthood at Ushaw College, Durham.

Ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas Holland of Salford on 11th February 1984 he served as an assistant priest at Our Lady of Grace, Prestwich, and St Mary’s, Swinton, before he was appointed private secretary to Archbishop Patrick Kelly (then Bishop of Salford) in 1988.  From December 1992 until September 2003 the then Father Davies was parish priest of St. John Bosco, Manchester, and was also appointed Dean of North Manchester in 1999.

In January 2003 Bishop Terence Brain of Salford appointed the then Monsignor Davies as Vicar General of the Salford Diocese. As Vicar General he served as the parish priest of St Teresa Little Lever between 2003 and 2006, St Joseph Longsight between 2006 and 2007 and Holy Family, Wigan, between 2007 and 2009.

In December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Davies as the Coadjutor Bishop of Shrewsbury. He was ordained Bishop on 22nd February 2010 at St Anthony’s, Wythenshawe, Manchester.  On 1st October 2010 Bishop Davies became the 11th Bishop of Shrewsbury in succession to Bishop Brian Noble.

Contact Bishop Mark's Office The Bishop's Diary

The Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms of the Bishop of Shrewsbury consists of some of the most striking imagery of any crest of the Catholic Church of England and Wales.

An inverted leopard’s head with a fleur de lys is borrowed from the emblem of St Thomas Cantilupe, the 13th century nobleman and Bishop of Hereford who sought to emphasise that as a follower of Jesus Christ he had decided to reject violence and warfare in the pursuit of peace.

The image of the leopard is superimposed over the red cross of St Chad, a monk, priest and the 7th century Bishop of Lichfield, which is, in turn, mounted on a sword and shield.

Both St Thomas and St Chad have historical connections to Shrewsbury because the diocese is formed from territory previously served by the ancient Dioceses of Hereford and Lichfield.

The green hat and tassels denote the office of a bishop and the words “Nihil Sine Christo” (Nothing Without Christ) is the personal motto of the Rt Rev. Mark Davies, the 11th Bishop of Shrewsbury.

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Letters & Homilies
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Inspiration from Bishop Mark

Let us be attentive to the reality of the Eucharist which contains the Church’s entire spiritual wealth, Christ Himself; and aware of our constant need of grace and conversion in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. May we also be ready to help others to awaken in Eucharistic faith and in the words of the Gospel hold “their heads high because our redemption is near at hand”

From Bishop Mark’s Pastoral Letter on Re-awakening Eucharistic Faith, November 2021

Let us recognise the gifts and graces which mark our Christian lives; above all the supreme gift of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar. Let us return to the Altar and the Tabernacle of our parishes in the joyful recognition of faith and prayer, and wherever possible in prolonged Eucharistic Adoration. This is surely the best place for us to start anew.

From Bishop Mark’s Pastoral Letter on Re-starting in Lent, March 2022

Faith & Life

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Ad Clerum
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Shrewsbury Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter of Alcantara was opened by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman in 1856. The original design for the Cathedral was drawn up by Augustus Welby Pugin at the request of John Talbot, the Sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury.

Today the Cathedral is home to a thriving parish community as well as serving the diocese as the mother church. It is from his Cathedra, here in the Cathedral, that Bishop Mark Davies presides over the Diocese of Shrewsbury, preaching, teaching and celebrating the sacraments.

 

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