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Pope Appoints Timothy Menezes as Bishop of Brentwood
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New Bishop of Brentwood Appointed
The Pope has named Right Reverend Timothy Menezes, 56, as the successor to Bishop Alan Williams, who retired at the mandatory age of 75 after twelve years leading the Diocese of Brentwood. The diocese encompasses the county of Essex and five east-London boroughs.
Menezes’ Clerical Career
Menezes studied for the priesthood at St Mary’s College, Oscott, and the Venerable English College in Rome. He was ordained in 1995 and began his ministry at St Dunstan’s in Kings Heath, the parish where he was baptized, received First Holy Communion and was confirmed. He later served as parish priest of St Thomas More in Coventry, then as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Birmingham from 2011 to 2019. In 2019 he became Dean of St Chad’s Cathedral while also overseeing the parishes of Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary in Aston (2022-2024). Since 2024 he has held the role of auxiliary bishop in the West Midlands.
Reactions from Church Leaders
Most Reverend Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, expressed delight at Menezes’ appointment, noting his extensive experience in Birmingham and the loss the archdiocese will feel. The Archbishop of Birmingham, Most Reverend Bernard Longley, said Menezes will be “greatly missed” and praised his pastoral experience and missionary zeal. Menezes himself described the appointment as a “great privilege,” acknowledging the need to continue learning and asking clergy, religious and lay faithful to pray for him and join in the diocese’s mission of hope.
Installation Ceremony Details
Menezes’ Mass of Episcopal Installation as the eighth Bishop of Brentwood is scheduled for 3 December, the feast day of St Francis Xavier, and will be held at the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen in Brentwood. The ceremony will mark the formal start of his episcopal ministry in the diocese.