The Right Reverend Peter Doyle - Ecclesiastical Adviser

Bishop Peter was appointed the League’s Ecclesiastical Adviser in 2007. Since then he has attended the Officers’ Annual Meeting in Swanwick in 2008 and 2009. He will attend the National Council/AGM Weekend in Torquay from the 30th October – 1st November.

On June 6th 2009 Bishop Peter was the principal Celebrant at the National Pilgrimage at Westminster Cathedral – ‘ …a magnificent celebration of faith and a wonderful expression of the spirit of the CWL. It was a joy and a privilege to celebrate Mass.’ Peter Doyle, 10th June 2009

from L-R Fr Pat O’Connell, Branch Chaplain Hexham and Newcastle, Bishop John Crowley, Bishop Peter Doyle, Thomas Wilson (Precentor) and Bishop John Arnold

At the end of the Mass of the National Pilgrimage


With Bishop John Arnold and Fr James Ward, Kingswinford Section, Birmingham Branch

Bishop Peter John Haworth Doyle was born on 3rd May 1944 at Wilpshire, near Blackburn in Lancashire. The eldest son of John and Alice Doyle, he has two brothers, Christopher and John, and one sister, Alison.
The family moved to Essex in 1951, and Bishop Peter was educated by the Jesuits at St. Ignatius Prep School, Buckhurst Hill and at St. Ignatius College, Stamford Hill. Having won a scholarship to Sandhurst he was due to go there after his "A" levels and then onto the Royal Artillery. Bishop Peter decided to approach the Diocese of Portsmouth. Archbishop John Henry King accepted him as a student for the priesthood, and he was sent to Allen Hall then at Ware in Hertfordshire.

The Bishop was ordained priest by Bishop Derek Worlock in St. John's Cathedral, Portsmouth on 8th June 1968. Thereafter, Bishop Peter worked in parishes. He was a member of the Council of Priests, a Consultor and a member of the Cathedral Chapter and from 2001 a member of the Bishop's Council and a Vicar General. He was also Dean of Portsmouth. In the autumn of 2003 he was the Diocesan Administrator while Bishop Crispian Hollis was on sabbatical.
Just before his appointment as Bishop of Northampton, Bishop Peter took on the role of chairman of Churches Together in Winchester. He had also just completed a year as chaplain to the City's Catholic mayor, and was chaplain to the High Sheriff of Hampshire.

To relax the Bishop says that he plays golf "badly" with his fellow clergy. He always comes last in the Clergy Golf competitions! He played squash until recently and he goes skiing once a year usually to Wengen. In earlier days he played rugby for Windsor and Portsmouth as a prop forward. He now enjoys watching rugby and plans to attend a number of local matches in Northampton where appropriately enough the Saints have their home.