In May 2005 Pope Benedict XVI made his first appointment of a Bishop in England and Wales.  He asked Monsignor Canon Peter Doyle to become the new Bishop of Northampton.

Peter Doyle was born on 3rd May 1944 at Wilpshire, near Blackburn in Lancashire.  His family moved to Essex in 1951, and Peter was educated by the Jesuits at St. Ignatius Prep School, Buckhurst Hill and at St. Ignatius College, Stamford Hill.  Having won a scholarship to Sandhurst he was due to go there after his "A" levels and then onto the Royal Artillery.  However, in his final year at school, he decided to offer himself for the priesthood.

He trained at Allen Hall seminary and was ordained priest by Bishop Derek Worlock in St. John's Cathedral, Portsmouth on 8th June 1968.  Since then Monsignor Doyle has worked in a number of parishes and posts.  He was assistant priest at St. Joseph's, Copnor 1968-70, assistant priest at St. Edward's, Windsor 1970-75, administrator at St. John's Cathedral, Portsmouth 1975-87, parish priest at St. Peter's, Winchester 1991-2005 and also at St. Gregory's, Alresford since 2004.

In Portsmouth Diocese he was a member of the Council of Priests, a Consultor and a member of the Cathedral Chapter and since 2001 a member of the Bishop's Council and a Vicar General.  In the past he has been Dean of Portsmouth and of Winchester, has chaired various school Governing bodies, and was Chairman of the Diocesan Schools Commission and the Diocesan Religious Education Council.  In the autumn of 2003 he was the Diocesan Administrator while Bishop Crispian Hollis was on sabbatical.

He was ordained as the twelfth Bishop of Northampton on Tuesday 28th June 2005, at Northampton Cathedral (the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury, Kingsthorpe Road, Northampton).

He is a staunch supporter of youth ministry in the Diocese, and within a few weeks of his ordination, he came to Germany to be with the Diocesan pilgrims to World Youth Day at Cologne.

For further information about our Bishop, or to get in touch with him, contact: Bishop's House, Marriott Street, Northampton, NN2 6AW.  Phone:  01604 715 635   Fax:  01604 792 186