Patrick O'Donoghue

Infobox bishopbiog


name = Rt Revd Patrick O'Donoghue
religion = Catholic Church
See = Lancaster
Title = Bishop of Lancaster
Period = 5th June 2001 — present
Predecessor = Rt Rev John Brewer
Successor = Rt Rev Michael Campbell
date of birth = 4th May 1934
place of birth = Mourne Abbey, Co Cork, Ireland|

Patrick O'Donoghue, (born 4 May 1934 in Mourne Abbey, County Cork, Ireland) is the fifth - and current - Bishop of the Diocese of Lancaster in England.

He was ordained a priest in 1967 for the Archdiocese of Westminster. On 29 June 1993 he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop for that same diocese by Cardinal Basil Hume.

On July 4th 2001, he was installed as the fifth Bishop of Lancaster following the death of Bishop John Brewer while in office. His portrait was painted for Westminster Cathedral in 2002 by Christian Furr [http://www.christianfurr.com/o%27donoghue.htm]

In recent years he has led a major diocesan review of the diocese called "Fit for Mission?" to prepare the diocese for the future with fewer priests and practising Catholics.

In November 2007 he brought out his teaching document on Catholic education, Fit for Mission? Schools. Hailed in the Catholic press as 'groundbreaking' and 'courageous', it was also praised by the Holy See. The Congregation for Clergy 'hopes it will become an example for other Dioceses in the country in their implementation of the General Directory for Catechesis and the Catechism of the Catholic Church', and the Congregation for Catholic Education wrote, it 'will undoubtedly be a relaible resource for renewing the vitality of Catholic Education in today's society'.