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The appointment of the Rt Rev Mgr Canon Philip Moger as the next Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham has been welcomed in East Anglia.
Mgr Moger will take up his new responsibilities in September 2020, following the end of the five-year term of office of the current Rector, the Rt Rev Mgr John Armitage.
Mgr Moger is a priest of the Diocese of Leeds and is currently the parish priest of St John Mary Vianney in Leeds.
Speaking about the appointment, Mgr Armitage said: “I am delighted to hear the news of the appointment of Mgr Philip Moger as the new Rector. He is a wonderful priest of great experience and until recently he was Dean of Leeds Cathedral. I worked closely with him as Vocation Directors in the past and know him well. I believe that he will bring many gifts to Walsingham and build upon all the work done to development the message and facilities of Walsingham in recent years.”
The Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, said he is delighted with the nomination: “I am very much looking forward to welcoming Mgr Moger to the Diocese and appointing him as the Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham for the next five years.
“He brings a wealth of experience with him to this new important national ministry, not least in his working among and love for the people he has served over many years as a parish priest. He also brings with him the experience of overseeing the refurbishment and restoration of Leeds Cathedral and of organising the Liturgies of the Visit to England and Wales of Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He will also work ecumenically with the Administrator of the Anglican Shrine and further the good relations that have existed for a good number of years.
“I ask that we keep Mgr Moger in our prayers and thoughts as he prepares to come to Walsingham next September,” said Bishop Alan.
“Mgr John Armitage will return to his Diocese at the end of his term of office in the summer and be given a new appointment. He has carried out a tremendous ministry and work at the National Shrine and, with his enthusiasm, has made Walsingham and its message more widely known and appreciated across the Church in England and Wales. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for the fruits that have been, and will continue to be produced, by his immense capacity for hard work and his indomitable spirit. There will be an opportunity to express our gratitude at a later date.”
Pictured top is Rt Rev Mgr Canon Philip Moger and, above, Rt Rev Mgr John Armitage, current Rector of the National Shrine at Walsingham (picture by Keith Morris).
