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

Scroll down the page to watch or read Bishop Mark's Pastoral letters and Reflections.

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.