The Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth finally has a bishop, three years after the position became vacant when the former Bishop Mark O’Toole moved to take up the role of Archbishop of Cardiff in 2022.

The Right Reverend Nicholas Hudson was formally installed as the Bishop of Plymouth on Saturday (November 29). He will oversee a Catholic population of approximately 11,293 across 57 parishes and 37 schools throughout Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.

Senior clergy including His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Most Reverend John Wilson, Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark and archbishops and bishops from England and Wales attended the Installation Mass at the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface in Plymouth.

The Bull of Appointment from Pope Leo XIV highlighted the Church’s confidence in Bishop Nicholas’s appointment: ‘We thought of you, having carefully considered your pastoral achievements in the duties you have undertaken in the Archdiocese of Westminster, together with your spiritual and human gifts and your expertise in administration, which make you suitable for advancement to this greater office.’

Bishop Nicholas said he plans to visit parishes, schools and other institutions across the diocese to understand the community’s aspirations. He said he was also keen to meet all the diocesan priests and deacons to hear of their experiences over the past few years and to talk ‘about the ways in which we might develop as a community of faith’.

Ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Southwark in 1986, Bishop Nicholas had been an auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of St German’s in Cornwall since 2014. Last year, he was elected as the episcopal secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Bishop Nicholas was the third cleric to be appointed to the role.

Pope Francis had initially named Canon Christopher Whitehead from the Diocese of Clifton as the next Bishop of Plymouth. However, his ordination, which was supposed to have taken place in February 2024, was cancelled after allegations were made against him.

Canon Christopher subsequently returned to his ministry in Bath after the Diocese of Clifton undertook a preliminary investigation and rules that ‘no canonical action was warranted’.

Pope Francis then appointed Bishop Philip Moger to the role last September. However, in November, he delayed taking up the position just weeks before he was due to start, after concerns ‘of a personal nature’ were raised.

He subsequently stood down in February to take a sabbatical so he could pray and reflect on the next stage of his journey in ministry.

In the interim three and a half years, the diocese has been overseen by diocesan administrator Canon Paul Cummins. Bishop Nicholas thanked him for his ‘outstanding’ leadership. ‘It’s clear to me that the Diocese shall be in your eternal debt for the selfless way you’ve led the whole Diocesan community,’ Bishop Nicholas said as he extended his gratitude to those who supported Canon Paul.