Who is Richard Bishop Challoner?
Richard Challoner was born on the 29th of September 1691 at Lewes in East Sussex. Richard showed an early desire for the priesthood and went to Douay in Northern France at the age of 14, and spent the next twenty-five years there, first as a student, then professor, and vice-president.
He returned to England as a missionary priest, and in 1741 Richard Challoner was appointed as Bishop of Debra, and then became the Vicar-Apostolic of the London District at the age of 68. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the faith of the Catholics and support Catholic families in London.
Bishop Richard Challoner died in his house in Gloucester Street on the 12th of January 1781. His remains were reinterred in 1946 in the Chapel of St Gregory and St Augustine in Westminster Cathedral.
Why is he important in the Catholic Church
Bishop Richard Challoner served the Catholics in England for fifty years during a difficult period in the 18th century and is considered one of the leading figures of English Catholicism.
He authored several significant books, including “The Unerring Authority of the Catholic Church”, “The Catholic Christian Instructed”, and “Britannia Sancta”. However, he is best remembered for his revision of the Douay Bible, which remained the standard Bible for Catholics for two centuries.
Bishop Challoner Day at Our School
Our school community celebrates Bishop Challoner Day on the 29th of September every year. Students, teachers, and members of staff enjoy a day of prayer, celebration and thanksgiving with Mass, special lessons, food and gifts.
