At a packed and vibrant St George’s Cathedral, Archbishop John Wilson ordained Bishop Gerard Bradley as an Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark.
The ordination took place on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 February 2026, following the appointment by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in December 2025, who assigned Bishop Bradley the Titular See of Beverley.
In his homily, Archbishop Wilson said:
“Your primary duty as a bishop is to announce Christ, alive in his Church and in the world, through the Holy Spirit. The proclamation of God’s saving love, revealed in our crucified and risen Saviour must determine everything about your witness…
“Trust yourself again definitively to Christ, who has already called you and taught you so much. Through this new ministry, learn from Christ how to shepherd as a bishop. He will not fail you. The same Teacher is here with you, still calling you so that you and those you serve might live faithfully in the light of his love.”
You can read Archbishop Wilson’s full homily here.
Following the sacred ceremony of his episcopal ordination, Bishop Bradley addressed the faithful, expressing his gratitude:
“Archbishop John, thank you for conferring this sacrament of Holy Orders. As with all sacraments, it’s not just a gift for me, it’s for the whole diocese: to strengthen us in our work ahead to become a diocese of missionary discipleship.”
Bishop Bradley thanked the deacons, priests and bishops who attended and for their prayers. He said a special word of thanks to the Missionary Sisters of Divine Motherhood, who have been a “tremendous support” to him since seminary. He concluded by thanking his family, especially his mother and father, for being the “first teachers of the faith”.
A bishop, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1594) explains, receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, and as successors of the apostles, bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the Pope, successor of St Peter.
The Titular See of Beverley has special significance for the Archdiocese of Southwark, as it is the Yorkshire birthplace of a saint much beloved of the Archdiocese, St John Fisher, who was a former Catholic Bishop of Rochester.
It also has more recent significance in that Beverley is the Titular See that was assigned to former Southwark Auxiliary Bishop John Hine, who died in 2024 after a lifetime of service to Southwark and the Church.
Please pray for Bishop Gerard Bradley as he begins his new service to the Catholic Church of Southwark and beyond.
You can browse this image gallery of the Episcopal Ordination. More images are available on our Flickr channel.
