Paul Swarbrick

Born on 2 July 1958 at Garstang, Lancashire, England,^[1][2] Swarbrick was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, an all-boys school in Lancashire's county town.^[2]

A distant cousin of Mgr Thomas Adamson, he prepared for Holy Orders at Ushaw College, a seminary in County Durham.^[3]

On 10 July 1982, at the age of 24, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Brian Foley at St Mary and St Michael's Church, Garstang, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster.^[1][4]

Swarbrick served as Assistant Priest at St Mary's Church, Kells, Whitehaven (1982–1983), and at St Maria Goretti Church, Preston (1983–1984),^[2] before moving to Blackpool, where he served as chaplain to St Mary's Catholic High School and Assistant Priest at St Cuthbert's Church from 1984 to 1990.^[5] From 1990 to 2005, he undertook missionary work in the Diocese of Monze, Zambia.^[6] Returning to England, he was an assistant priest at Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs, Preston.^[6] Then, he served as parish priest of Sacred Heart, Preston and St Walburge, Preston (2007 to 2010) and of Our Lady and St Michael, Workington (2010 to 2018).^[6]

Episcopal ministry

On 12 February 2018, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Lancaster,^[3][5] being consecrated on 9 April 2018 by his predecessor, Bishop Michael Campbell.^[1]