Former Bishops

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle has a rich-and-vast history, with our first Bishop, Bishop William Hogarth, being consecrated in 1850.

Find out more about our former Bishops below, some of the names may be familiar as we honour our former Bishops in our schools, partnerships and other areas of the Diocese.

"Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ Jesus is, there is the catholic church."

St. Ignatius of Antioch

William Hogarth

Born March 25, 1786

Consecrated August 24, 1848 as Vicar-Apostolic of the Northern District

Translated to Hexham, September 29, 1850

Died January 29, 1866, aged 80, in Darlington; buried at Ushaw.

James Chadwick

Born April 24, 1813

Consecrated October 18, 1866

Died May 14, 1882, aged 69, in Newcastle; buried at Ushaw

John William Bewick

Born April 20, 1824

Consecrated October 18, 1882

Died October 29, 1886, aged 62, in Tynemouth; buried at the Ashburton Cemetery, Gosforth

Henry O'Callaghan

Born March 29, 1827

Consecrated January 18, 1888

Resigned 1889 and translated to Archiepiscopal See of Nicosia, October 1, 1889

Died October 11, 1904, aged 77, in Florence.

Thomas W. Wilkinson

Born April 5, 1825

Consecrated July 25, 1888

Translated to Hexham & Newcastle, December 28, 1889

Died April 17, 1909, aged 84, at Ushaw, where he is buried.

Richard Preston (Auxiliary to Bishop Wilkinson)

Bishop of Phocea

Born December 12, 1856

Consecrated July 25, 1900

Died February 9, 1905, aged 49, in Lancaster; buried at Ushaw

Richard Collins

Born April 5, 1857

Consecrated Bishop of of Selinus, June 29, 1905

Became Bishop of Hexham & Newcastle, June 21, 1909

Died February 9, 1924, aged 66, in Newcastle; buried at Ushaw

Joseph Thorman

Born August 6, 1871

Consecrated January 27, 1925

Died October 7, 1936, aged 65, in Newcastle; buried at Ushaw

Joseph McCormack

Born May 17, 1887

Consecrated February 4, 1937

Died March 2, 1958, aged 70, in Newcastle; buried at Ushaw

James Cunningham

Born August 15, 1910

Consecrated Bishop of Jos and Auxiliary to Bishop McCormack, November 12, 1957

Appointed as Bishop of Diocese, July 1, 1958

Died July 10, 1974, aged 63, in Newcastle; buried at Ushaw

Owen Swindlehurst (Auxiliary to Bishop Lindsay)

Bishop of Chester-le-Street

Born May 10, 1928

Ordained Bishop of Chester-le-Street and Auxiliary to Bishop Lindsay, July 25, 1977

Died August 28, 1995, aged 67, in Sunderland; buried at Our Blessed Lady Immaculate, Washington, Tyne & Wear.

Bishop

Hugh Lindsay

Born June 20, 1927

Ordained Bishop of Chester-le-Street (Cuncacestre) and Auxiliary to Bishop Cunningham, December 11, 1969

Appointed Bishop of Diocese, December 12, 1974

Retired January 11, 1992

Died January 19, 2009; buried in the crypt at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle.

Bishop

Ambrose Griffiths OSB

Born 4 December 1928

Ordained Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 20 March 1992 by Archbishop Derek Worlock

Retired 25 May 2004

Died 14 June 2011, aged 82, in Lancashire; buried in the vault under the Abbey church at Ampleforth.

Bishop

Kevin Dunn

Born 9 July 1950

Ordained Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 25 May 2004 by Bishop Ambrose Griffiths

Died 1 March 2008, aged 57, in Newcastle; buried in the crypt at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle.

Bishop

Séamus Cunningham

Born 7 July 1942

Ordained Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 20 March 2009

Retired 25 March 2019.

Bishop

Robert Byrne CO

Born September 1956.

Ordained Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 25 March 2019.

Resigned 12 December 2022.