Bishop of Plymouth

Ordained a priest for the Archidiocese of Westminster in 1990, Bishop Mark was appointed the 9th Bishop of Plymouth by Pope Francis in 2013 and received his episcopal consecration on 28 January 2014.

The Cathedral Church of St Mary & St Boniface is the Mother Church of the Catholic Diocese of Plymouth, established in 1850. The Cathedral itself was built in 1858 at the same time as a certain Bernadette Soubirious was receiving visions of Our Lady in the French town of Lourdes! The Marian connection has always been very important to us at the Cathedral and the Diocese. In the Cathedral you will be able to pray, celebrate the sacraments, listen to the word of God proclaimed and preached, and come to know and understand more deeply the faith which we profess in word and deed.
May your visit here be faithful in every sense.

May God bless you all
Rt Rev Mark O'Toole, Bishop of Plymouth

Bishop Mark's Pastoral letters and Reflections.

Bishop Mark prays for Polish patient who has died

In response to the news of the death of RS, a Polish man and patient in Plymouth hospital, Bishop Mark said,
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mr RS. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, children, mother, sisters, and niece and with all those who loved and cared for him. Local clergy will continue to offer pastoral support to the family living in Plymouth, as they have done throughout his time in hospital.”
The Right Reverend Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth

Bishops seek help from the Secretary of Health for gravely ill man

Bishop Mark, together with Bishop John Sherrington, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues in the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, wrote recently to the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, concerning a gravely ill man in Plymouth Hospital. A copy of the letter is attached.

https://www.cbcew.org.uk/bishops-write-to-the-secretary-of-state-for-health-and-social-care/

www.cbcew.org.uk

Bishop of Plymouth expresses concern at Court’s judgement

The Bishop of Plymouth, Bishop Mark O’Toole expressed his concern at a Court's judgement to withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration from RS - a Catholic man in a coma at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust after a heart attack in early November "My prayers are with the patient, his wife and family, and for all those involved in his care. The decision of the court to allow for the withdrawal of hydration and nutrition is very worrying. That it is deemed to be in the best interests of the patient more so. Providing food and water to very sick patients - even if by artificial means - is a basic level of care. This is care that we must strive to give whenever possible.”

The Anscombe Bioethics Centre Press Release

Bishop Mark expresses sorrow and invites all to support
victims-survivors.

Depriving People of Food & Water

The Bishop of Plymouth, Bishop Mark O’Toole, has written to all MP’s in the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, expressing the Catholic community’s “dismay at the Government’s decision requiring the cessation of acts of public communal worship”. Click links to read in full:

PASTORAL MESSAGE

CONTACTS

Bishop Mark encourages Catholics to have fidelity and courage of St Cuthbert and the Martyrs.

On the 25th October, the Catholic Church marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Canonisation of St Cuthbert Mayne and the thirty-nine other Martyrs, who died for the Catholic faith in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In a Pastoral Message, Bishop Mark encourages those who can, to return to Mass, to be physically present in a church. Recognising that the world is in many ways “shrouded in gloom” at this time because of the “deadly virus”, Bishop Mark asked parishioners who were not vulnerable and not having to shield, “to be present once more at the holy sacrifice of the Mass.” He stressed that they could do so, “safely, whilst observing all the necessary protocols”.

Pastoral Message

Bishop Mark on Pope Francis’s New Encyclical

Bishop Mark on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical

Bishop Mark today issued a Pastoral Message inviting all to embrace and to prayerfully reflect on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, Brothers and Sisters, all”

Click the link below to read Bishop Mark’s full Message and links to the full text of the Encyclica
Bishop Mark on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical

Pastoral Letter

Hold on to the gift of joy this Home Mission Sunday

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on almost every aspect of our lives – not least the way we worship together and pray as a Catholic community.
Ordinarily we would have celebrated Home Mission Sunday in September but, in 2020, we celebrate the day set aside to promote evangelisation on Gaudete Sunday – 13 December – the Third Sunday of Advent.
There may not be an abundance of joy in our hearts at this time, but Bishop Mark O’Toole tells us that we can still hold on to this fruit of the Holy Spirit through our struggles.
Bishop O’Toole is the Bishop for Mission at the Bishops’ Conference.

Bishop Mark's Message

Radio Maria England is a 24hr Catholic Radio Station set up to broadcast programmes promoting and expressing the Christian Faith. It aims to support Catholics and others in their spiritual life and witness to those who wish to learn more about the Catholic Faith.
It is part of the World Family of Radio Maria, formed in 1998 in response to the apparitions and messages of our Lady in Medjugorje and Fatima. Radio Maria currently has 77 radio stations across 5 continents with 500 million listeners world-wide.
Radio Maria England is a non-profit organisation run by a mixture of professionals and volunteers both lay and religious

Radio Maria England has had an interview with Bishop Mark O’Toole regarding the updated edition of the Directory for Catechesis. This will be aired at part of our Padre’s Hour and will be broadcast: 20.07.20 Monday (11:00) and then Repeated 21.07.20 Tuesday (21:00), 24.07.20 Friday (2:00) and 25.07.20 Saturday (17:00)

To listen to the broad cast click the link below or for more details go to https://www.facebook.com/radiomariaengland/

Radio Maria England

Albert Lawes Ordination

Sunday 12th July - Bishop Mark's homily for the Ordination of Albert lawes to the Diaconate., to see the full service go to the attached link

Photos of the Occasion

HOMILY

Return from Exile

“Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Jerusalem.
Shout with gladness, daughter of Sion.” (Zechariah 9:9)

These words of the prophet Zechariah echo in us all. They are from the first reading we will hear, when we are able to return to the public celebration of Mass next weekend. In it, the prophet is describing the time of the return of the Jewish people back to Jerusalem following many years spent in exile, in Babylon. With this return from exile the people were able to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They had the possibility once more of worshipping God in that holy place

REFLECTION

"Let us now open the doors of God’s House

Churches re-opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
For 85 days, since the 20th of March our doors have been closed as a result of the Pandemic. Today with great joy we are once again opening our church doors for private prayer to our faithful and all those who would like to find quiet and peace in the House of God. We read in sacred scripture the words: For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. Conscious that our people have missed being able to attend this house of prayer, let us commend ourselves to the Lord as we pray

“Bishop Mark speaks about Opening of our Churches and about St Boniface, Patron of the Diocese”

Listen to his piece on Radio Devon

The Priestly Heart

“Equal from Day One – a message for LifeStream20 Seminar”

A reflection By Bishop Mark on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of all Priests

We want today to give thanks to God for the gift of the priesthood, and to pray for the sanctification of all priests. We believe that the Merciful love of God that passes through the Heart of Jesus brought forth the great mystery of the priesthood.

Click the button to read the full text

LifeStream20 Seminar

Bishop Mark's
Message to Schools of the Diocese

“St Boniface – Model of Courage and Mission”

“Let the children come to me”: a message from Bishop Mark to all those involved in Catholic Education in the Diocese of Plymouth

A reflection by Bishop Mark for the Solemnity of
St Boniface, Patron of the Diocese
of Plymouth, 5th June 2020

mESSAGE TO sCHOOLS

st boniface Text

Bishop Mark reflects on the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ letter ‘Laudato Si

There is a lovely, devotional hymn to Our Lady, titled, “Bring flowers of the rarest”, which was often sung when I was a child. It is still sung in many schools and churches today, during the month of May. The second verse goes like this:…………..

Click to read full text

Bishop Mark reminds all that May is the month of Mary, and a time to thank God for the beauty of His Creation

In a reflection marking the 5th Anniversary of Laudato Si (Praise be to you) - Pope Francis’ Encyclical letter on the earth, which he calls, “our common home” - Bishop Mark O’Toole, the Bishop of Plymouth, has reminded Catholics, that May is a month when we remember Mary’s important role in creation and is a time, too, for recalling the beauty of that creation.

The Pope, Bishop Mark reminded everyone, links the “care of our common home” with the need to care for “those who are already poor and vulnerable”. “The Pope constantly links these two realities” the Bishop suggested, showing “the need to protect and respect our Common home and the need to respect and protect the dignity and lives of the poor.