Our current Bishop Bosco, 10th Bishop of Clifton
Bishop John Bosco MacDonald, known as Bosco, was born in Bath on 21 July 1963. He was baptised at the parish church of St Mary’s in the city.
He studied at the seminary in Valladolid, Spain, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Clifton at St John’s in Bath on 6 July 1991.
His first appointment of his diocesan ministry was at the Cathedral parish as an assistant priest, before being made parish priest of St John Fisher in Wellington from 1995-1998. He then moved to Holy Family, Patchway.
In November 1997, Bishop-elect Bosco was appointed the Diocesan Coordinator of Chaplains for Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form sectors, and from 1998–2023 was a member of the Retired Priests Committee.
On New Year’s Day 2003, he was appointed Dean of Bristol North West and held the role for four years.
His next parish appointment was to St Gregory the Great with St Thomas More in Cheltenham. During this time, in March 2009, he was Installed as Canon of the Cathedral Chapter.
In 2010, Bishop-elect Bosco was appointed Amicus Clero for the diocese. The term means ‘friend of the clergy’ and the incumbent offers a listening ear for any priest with pastoral or personal concerns.
He was appointed Dean of Clifton Cathedral in September 2015, a position he held until Pope Francis appointed him the Tenth Bishop of Clifton on 14 March 2024.
Bishop Bosco’s Episcopal Ordination was on 8th May 2024 in Clifton Cathedral, Bristol.
Our previous Bishop Declan, 9th Bishop of Clifton
Bishop Declan Lang was the ninth Bishop of Clifton. The Clifton Diocese came in to existence in 1851 and was preceded by the Western District.
Bishop Lang was born on 15 April 1950 in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Both his parents came from Ireland. His father was a doctor in Cowes having previously worked as a GP in Birmingham.
He went to Allen Hall, St Edmund’s College, Ware to train for the priesthood in September 1968 and while he was there he also went to Royal Holloway College University of London, where he gained a BA in history.He was ordained a priest on 7 June 1975 by Bishop Derek Worlock at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth. He was then appointed as an Assistant Priest at the Cathedral and Chaplain to St Edmund’s Comprehensive School in Portsmouth.
Four years after ordination he was appointed Secretary to Bishop Emery and Chancellor. During this time he also worked on the Diocesan Youth Commission, which he later chaired. For a number of years he went as Chaplain with the Portsmouth Group to Lourdes at Easter.
In 1983 he was appointed to the Religious Education Council as Adult Religious Education Advisor, a position he held until 1990. While doing this work he was also Parish Priest of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, Bishop’s Waltham, for four years and then Parish Priest at Sacred Heart, Bournemouth.
In September 1990 he was appointed Moderator of the Curia and Administrator of St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth. In January 1996 he was appointed as one of the Vicars General in the diocese moving to Abingdon in September 1996.
Bishop Lang’s Episcopal Ordination was on 28 March 2001 in Clifton Cathedral, Bristol.
Bishop Declan retired as the 9th Bishop of Clifton on 8th May 2024.
He studied at the seminary in Valladolid, Spain, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Clifton at St John’s in Bath on 6 July 1991.
His first appointment of his diocesan ministry was at the Cathedral parish as an assistant priest, before being made parish priest of St John Fisher in Wellington from 1995-1998. He then moved to Holy Family, Patchway.
In November 1997, Bishop-elect Bosco was appointed the Diocesan Coordinator of Chaplains for Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form sectors, and from 1998–2023 was a member of the Retired Priests Committee.
On New Year’s Day 2003, he was appointed Dean of Bristol North West and held the role for four years.
His next parish appointment was to St Gregory the Great with St Thomas More in Cheltenham. During this time, in March 2009, he was Installed as Canon of the Cathedral Chapter.
In 2010, Bishop-elect Bosco was appointed Amicus Clero for the diocese. The term means ‘friend of the clergy’ and the incumbent offers a listening ear for any priest with pastoral or personal concerns.
He was appointed Dean of Clifton Cathedral in September 2015, a position he held until Pope Francis appointed him the Tenth Bishop of Clifton on 14 March 2024.
Bishop Bosco’s Episcopal Ordination was on 8th May 2024 in Clifton Cathedral, Bristol.
Our previous Bishop Declan, 9th Bishop of Clifton
Bishop Declan Lang was the ninth Bishop of Clifton. The Clifton Diocese came in to existence in 1851 and was preceded by the Western District.
Bishop Lang was born on 15 April 1950 in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Both his parents came from Ireland. His father was a doctor in Cowes having previously worked as a GP in Birmingham.
He went to Allen Hall, St Edmund’s College, Ware to train for the priesthood in September 1968 and while he was there he also went to Royal Holloway College University of London, where he gained a BA in history.He was ordained a priest on 7 June 1975 by Bishop Derek Worlock at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth. He was then appointed as an Assistant Priest at the Cathedral and Chaplain to St Edmund’s Comprehensive School in Portsmouth.
Four years after ordination he was appointed Secretary to Bishop Emery and Chancellor. During this time he also worked on the Diocesan Youth Commission, which he later chaired. For a number of years he went as Chaplain with the Portsmouth Group to Lourdes at Easter.
In 1983 he was appointed to the Religious Education Council as Adult Religious Education Advisor, a position he held until 1990. While doing this work he was also Parish Priest of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, Bishop’s Waltham, for four years and then Parish Priest at Sacred Heart, Bournemouth.
In September 1990 he was appointed Moderator of the Curia and Administrator of St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth. In January 1996 he was appointed as one of the Vicars General in the diocese moving to Abingdon in September 1996.
Bishop Lang’s Episcopal Ordination was on 28 March 2001 in Clifton Cathedral, Bristol.
Bishop Declan retired as the 9th Bishop of Clifton on 8th May 2024.
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