Pope Francis names new Bishop of East Anglia

Pope Francis has appointed the Rev Canon Peter Collins to lead the Diocese of East Anglia, which has its headquarters in Norfolk and also covers Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Bishop-elect Peter is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff and will become the fifth bishop of the diocese, succeeding the current Bishop of East Anglia, Rt Rev Alan Hopes, who is retiring.

The Rt Rev Alan Hopes, right introduces the new Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins (Image: Archant)

Bishop Alan, who has been appointed the diocesan administrator, will continue until Bishop Peter is installed and ordained.

Bishop-elect Peter said: “As I emerge from the shock of hearing that the Holy Father has appointed me as a bishop, it is with sincere humility, deep trust and great hope that I look to the future.

“I am so grateful to Bishop Alan for the warmth of his welcome and in communion, with the whole diocese, I thank him for the generosity of his apostolic service over the past nine years. I will undoubtedly be drawing upon the wealth of his wisdom and experience in the days ahead.

The new Bishop of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins, is welcomed to the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist in Norwich (Image: Archant)

“As I leave the mountains and valleys of the west for the expansive plains of the east, I realise that my horizons will change and that I have much to learn.”

Born Peter Gwilym Collins on May 13, 1958, in South Wales, Bishop-elect Peter lived with his three older sisters in the village of Rhymney. He attended local Catholic schools and briefly explored a career in teaching before being accepted for seminary formation in 1978.

Following six years at the Royal English College in Spain, he was ordained to the priesthood in Cardiff in 1984 and has since gone on to be an assistant priest, vice-rector, parish priest and dean, as well as completing post-graduate study.

The Rt Reverend Alan Hopes, left, introduces the new Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins (Image: Archant)

As well as being a self-confessed fan of sci-fi, he said he is looking forward to rekindling his love of golf during his time in the region.

Bishop Peter’s Episcopal Ordination will take place at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich, on December 14, 2022 at 11.30am.

The new Bishop of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins, is welcomed to the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich (Image: Archant)

The career of East Anglia’s Bishop-elect

Bishop-elect Peter undertook his studies at the Augustinian Faculty in Valladolid at the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid and at the Pontifical University in Salamanca.

He served as an assistant priest in the Metropolitan Cathedral of St David, Cardiff, from 1984 to 1986 and in Bridgend from 1986 to 1988.

The new Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins (Image: Archant)

He returned to Spain for post-graduate study before taking up his appointment as Vice Rector at the Royal English College, serving there from 1989 to 1994.

Upon his return to the Archdiocese of Cardiff, he was appointed as Parish Priest of Chepstow and Caldicot.

In 2001 he became Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Cardiff, serving there for the next 18 years.

The Bishop-elect of East Anglia, Rev Canon Peter Collins, at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist in Norwich (Image: Archant)

In 2006, he was appointed as a member of the Metropolitan Chapter of Canons.

Then in 2019, he moved to the neighbouring parishes of St Mary of the Angels, Canton and Holy Family, Fairwater.

Rev Canon Peter Collins will become the new Catholic Bishop of East Anglia (Image: Archant)