Bishop Mark O'Toole

Bishop Mark O'Toole was born in London, in June 1963. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Geography from the University of Leicester in 1984 and then studied for priesthood at Allen Hall Seminary, graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity in Theology. He was Ordained Priest for the Diocese of Westminster by Cardinal Basil Hume on 9th June 1990, and spent his first years as a priest, studying for an M. Phil in Theology at the University of Oxford.

In 1992 he became Assistant Priest at St Mary Magdalene, Willesden Green. He then joined the Staff at Allen Hall Seminary in 1997 for 5 years. There followed a six-year appointment as Private Secretary to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, before he returned to Allen Hall Seminary as Rector in Sept 2008.

He was appointed Bishop of Plymouth by Pope Francis in November 2013, and ordained to that See on 28th January 2014, taking the Motto, "In Manus Tuas, Domine - Into your hands, Lord". He was created an Ecumenical Canon at Truro Cathedral and is presently Chair of the Department of Evangelisation and Catechesis in the Bishops Conference of England and Wales.