Alan Stephen Williams, SM (born 15 March 1951) is an English Roman Catholic prelate and 7th

Bishop of Brentwood The Bishop of Brentwood is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood in the Province of Westminster, England. Overview The diocese covers the historic county of Essex, an area of comprising the non-metropolitan county of Essex, th ...

. He is a member of the

Marist Order Marist is a noun or adjective derived from the name Mary – in particular Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ. It may refer to: Catholic religious orders or congregations * Marist Brothers also known as the Little Brothers of Mary and the M ...

Career

Born in Lancashire in 1951, Alan Williams trained for the priesthood at Allen Hall before which he obtained a Degree in Psychology from

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

, followed by a PhD in Psychology from London University. He later earned a degree in Theology from the University of Cambridge, and a master's degree in Education from

Hull University , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

. He made his final vows with Society of Mary (Marists) in 1981 and was ordained priest on the 30 April 1983 at St Anne’s, Whitechapel. Williams served as a school teacher and as Catholic chaplain to

Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Cr ...

. He was subsequently parish priest at St Lawrence of Canterbury,

Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. Before ...

. He is a former major Superior of the Marist Fathers in England, a post he held from 2000 to 2008. He has also taught Christian Spirituality at postgraduate level. Williams was Appointed Director of the Roman Catholic National Shrine at Walsingham in 2008 where he had overall responsibility for pilgrimage and retreat work. He was appointed the 7th Bishop of Brentwood 14 April 2014 and consecrated on 1st July 2014 by Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

Coat of Arms

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Alan 1951 births Living people 20th-century English Roman Catholic priests 21st-century English Roman Catholic priests Roman Catholic bishops of Brentwood Clergy from Lancashire Alumni of the University of Hull Alumni of the University of Cambridge Alumni of Grey College, Durham English Roman Catholic bishops