Rt Rev Stephen Wang has been ordained as the sixth Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.
Roman Catholic bishops and parishioners from across the diocese gathered at Arundel Cathedral for the Mass of Episcopal Ordination on Monday, the day of the Feast of St Philip Howard.
During his address, Bishop Stephen revealed his episcopal motto will be “speak the truth in love”, from Ephesians 4:15.
He was ordained by Most Rev John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark. Most Rev Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, were the co-principal ordaning bishops. Greetings from Pope Leo were given by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
Having become a priest in 1998, Bishop Stephen most recently served as the Rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, one of only two English and Welsh seminaries training men for the priesthood.
Bishop Stephen is known for his passion for evangelisation. He founded Sycamore, a video-based Catholic faith formation programme now used in parishes, schools and universities around the world to help people explore the Christian faith.
Two of Bishop Stephen’s predecessors in Arundel and Brighton have gone on to become Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales: Most Rev Richard Moth, the current president, and His Eminence Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the church from 2000 to 2009.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, then Bishop-elect Stephen said: “I feel a mixture of gratitude and trepidation; an excitement and curiosity about all that lies ahead; and above all, a sense of peace. I’m grateful to Pope Leo for calling me and putting his trust in me, and to Archbishop Moth for all his care for the Diocese over these years... I am overjoyed at the thought of coming to Arundel & Brighton, getting to know the people, and working together to build God’s Kingdom.”
Bishop Stephen will celebrate a Mass of Welcome for those in the diocese at Worth Abbey, Crawley, on Saturday.