The Diocesan Curia consists of those institutions and persons which furnish assistance to the Diocesan Bishop in the governance of the entire Diocese, especially in directing pastoral activity, in providing for the administration of the diocese and in exercising judicial power. It would also include all who participate in the overall administration of the Diocese, especially those who direct diocesan departments such as education, social justice, liturgy, laity and other facets of the local Church’s life. On this website most of these Curial persons, departments or bodies have their own page or link to their specific website otherwise their details appear here.
Vicar General:
The Rev Canon Provost Dunstan Cooper VG,
St Mary’s Presbytery, Matthias Street, MORECAMBE, Lancs, LA4 5JR
Tel: 01524 410501
Vicar General & Diocesan Chancellor:
The Rev Canon Paul Embery VG
St Mary of Furness, Victoria Road, Brogden Park, ULVERSTON, LA12 0BY, Tel: 01229 582205
Judicial Vicar:
The Rev Sony Joseph DCL, Tribunal Office, The Pastoral Centre, Balmoral Road, LANCASTER
Tel: 01524 596062
Episcopal Vicars for Religious:
Rev Mgr Canon Francis Slattery, Prot Ap: (Cumbria)
Rev Chris Cousens: (Lancashire)
The Council of Priests (as 1 May 2009)
Constitution, Standing Orders, & Rules of Procedure (Revised by decree of 31 March 1993)
The Council of Priests is a body of priests who assist the Bishop in governing the Diocese.
The 1983 Code of Canon Law mandates that presbyteral councils exist in each diocese “to aid the bishop in the governance of the diocese according to the norm of the law, in order that the pastoral welfare of the portion of the people of God entrusted to him may be promoted as effectively as possible.”
President & Chair: The Bishop
Vice-Chairman: The Rev Andrew Allman
Secretary (non-voting): The Rev Paul Harrison
Ex-Officio Members: Canon Dunstan Cooper VG; Mgr Francis Slattery; Rev Chris Cousens (Episcopal Vicars for Religious); Canon Luiz Ruscillo (Head of Education); Rev John Watson (Vocations Director), Rev John Moriarty (Director the Youth Service); Canon Peter Hart (Diocesan Financial Administrator).
Deanery Representatives:
St Peter’s (Lancaster) Canon Luiz Ruscillo
Our Lady & St Wilfrid (Preston) Rev Francis Olaseni
St Kentigern’s (Blackpool) Canon Robert Dewhurst
Sacred Heart (Thornton) Rev Chris Cousens
St John (Kirkham) Rev David Burns
St Mary of Furness (Barrow-in Furness) Canon Paul Embery VG
St Herbert (Carlisle) Canon Michael Docherty
Our Lady & St Benedict (West Cumbria) Rev Paul Harrison
St Thomas of Canterbury (Kendal) Mgr Francis Slattery
Council of Priests’ Steering Committee: The Bishop (Chair); Rev Paul Harrison, Rev Andrew Allman, Canon Michael Docherty (the Secretary)
The Diocesan Trustees (Clarificatory Note)
Cathedral Chapter (Erected 16 February, 1925)
Provost: The Rev Canon Dunstan Cooper VG;
Chapter Canons: Revv Canons Robert Dewhurst; John Gibson, Alf Hayes; Luiz Ruscillo; John Watson, Paul Embery, Peter Draper, Peter Hart, Adrian Towers, Christopher Loughran.
The Cathedral Chapter in this Diocese currently serves, since Bishop O’Donoghue’s time and renewed by successive diocesan bishops since then, as the College of Consultors.