Lancaster: Ordination of Bishop Michael Campbell

St Peter's Cathedral in Lancaster was filled to capacity and a wonderful spirit of jubilation, for the Ordination of Bishop Michael Campbell yesterday. Bishop Campbell quoted St Augustine: " 'For you I am a bishop; with you I am a Christian.' I ask for your prayers as I begin my ministry as a bishop." Two cardinals, some 32 bishops, 200 priests and deacons gathered with hundreds of guests from parishes throughout the diocese and beyond to participate in this historic event. Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, the Papal Ambassador to the Court of St James in his address, spoke directly to Bishop Campbell saying that his appointment to Lancaster was indeed a 'home-coming.' He said: "You were ordained priest here, you taught here, and you have many friends here." I n his homily Cardinal Murphy O'Connor spoke of Bishop Campbell's Ordination left him with mixed feelings; "joy at Bishop Campbell's ordination but sorrow at loosing him as a priest in the Diocese of Westminster." Bishop Campbell has worked in Westminster Diocese for the last ten years. Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue, the current Bishop of Lancaster, said that "It was both a privilege and an honour to ordain Bishop Campbell, who will succeed me as Bishop of Lancaster on my retirement next summer. It has been a great day both for the Diocese and for the Augustinian order who today saw their brother priest ordained Bishop; the first Augustinian bishop in England since the reformation." After the Ordination Mass around 450 people attended a reception in the City's magnificent Grand theatre, where a wonderful spread was provided by the 'The Borough' in Dalton Square. The Cathedral staff was "delighted with the help and support that the Grand theatre and 'The Borough' offered us in celebrating this important event."