John Rawsthorne

Infobox bishopbiog


name = John Rawsthorne


religion = Roman Catholic Church
See = Hallam
Title = Bishop of Hallam
Period = 3 July 1997—present
Predecessor = Gerald Moverley
Successor = incumbent
date of birth = Birth date and age|1936|11|12|df=y
place of birth = Crosby, Lancashire|

John Rawsthorne (born 12 November 1936) is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, currently serving as Bishop of Hallam.

John Rawsthorne was the first son of Harold (d. 1945) and Miriam (d. 1989) Rawsthorne; he has two brothers, Paul and Christopher, and three sisters, Elizabeth, Ann, and Katherine. After attending at St. Joseph's College in Upholland, he was ordained to the priesthood on 16 June 1962 by then Archbishop of Liverpool, John Carmel Heenan.

Until 1965 Rawsthorne studied natural sciences, and was then assigned to pastoral work in West Derby, Croxteth, Childwall, and Liverpool; he also worked in religious education.

On 9 November 1981, he appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Liverpool and titular bishop of "Rotdon". He received his episcopal consecration on the following 16 December from Archbishop Derek Worlock, with Bishops Kevin O'Connor and Anthony Hitchen serving as co-concsecrators.

Following the resignation of Bishop Gerald Moverley, Rawsthorne was appointed second Bishop of Hallam on 4 July 1997. Rawsthorne is a keen walker and takes part in a sponsored walk every year to raise money to support St. Wilfrid's Drop-in Day Centre in Sheffield. He is also involved with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, especially with education and youth work.