IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT: Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths, 82, died peacefully today, 14 June, following his recent serious illness due to acute leukaemia.
Archbishop Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool said: “Bishop Ambrose blessed the diocese of Liverpool in the parish of St Mary’s, Leyland, and blessed us again by dying in serenity and peace in our midst. His death will be deeply felt in Leyland and I am certain the loss of this man, truly filled with the spirit of Pentecost, will be felt even more deeply by everyone in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and by his Benedictine brothers of Ampleforth.”
Biography - Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths OSB: Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 1992 - 2004.
Bishop Ambrose was Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1992 to 2004, when he retired.
Michael Griffiths was born in London on 4 December 1928, to Hilda and Henry Griffiths. He attended a prep School in Brighton and then moved north to attend the Ampleforth Preparatory School at Gilling Castle in North Yorkshire and from there moved to Ampleforth School for his secondary education.
In 1946 he won a place at Balliol College in Oxford where he obtained a First Class BSc Honours Degree in Natural Sciences, majoring in Chemistry. Seven years later he obtained his MA.
On September 24 1950, after completing his studies at Oxford, he joined the Benedictine Community at Ampleforth Abbey and was given the religious name Ambrose (after the saint who was Bishop of Milan in the fourth century).
He was sent to the Benedictine House of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome where he studied Theology and was ordained Priest on July 21st 1957.
He taught Science, RE and woodwork at Ampleforth from 1958 - 1972, and became Head of the Science Department at the School.
From 1963 – 1971 he also taught dogmatic theology to the young monks of the community.
In 1972 he was appointed as Procurator (Bursar) of the Abbey and was responsible for the day to day running, and the financial matters of the Abbey.
In 1976 he was appointed Abbot of the Abbey by the Community and was in charge of Ampleforth for eight years until he was appointed as Parish priest of St Mary’s Parish in Leyland, Lancashire. As parish priest he was involved in all the usual day to day activities and societies of normal parish life.
As Parish Priest of Leyland he also had the title of Abbot of Westminster, a title he was given when he was not re-elected as Abbot of Ampleforth.
Bishop Ambrose Griffiths OSB
On 11 January 1992, Pope John Paul II announced that he had appointed the Rt Rev Ambrose Griffiths OSB (Order of St Benedict) as the eleventh Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle to succeed the Rt Rev Bishop Hugh Lindsay who had tendered his resignation as Bishop of the Diocese on the grounds of ill health.
On 20 March 1992, Ambrose Griffiths was Ordained as Bishop by the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Derek Worlock in St Mary’s Cathedal, Newcastle upon Tyne. Ambrose Griffiths was installed as Bishop of the Diocese in front of the priests and people of the Diocese, many Bishops of England and Wales, including Cardinal Basil Hume, the Archbishop of Westminster, the Abbot of Ampleforth prior to Ambrose Griffiths.
Bishop Ambrose tendered his resignation at the age of 75 to Pope John Paul II, a requirement necessary for all bishops. He was succeeded by Bishop Kevin Dunn (d. 2008). Bishop Seamus Cunningham is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths, 82, died peacefully on the afternoon of 14 June
2011, following his recent serious illness due to acute leukaemia.
For more information see: http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ambrose-griffiths
Archbishop Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool said: “Bishop Ambrose blessed the diocese of Liverpool in the parish of St Mary’s, Leyland, and blessed us again by dying in serenity and peace in our midst. His death will be deeply felt in Leyland and I am certain the loss of this man, truly filled with the spirit of Pentecost, will be felt even more deeply by everyone in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and by his Benedictine brothers of Ampleforth.”
Biography - Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths OSB: Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle 1992 - 2004.
Bishop Ambrose was Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1992 to 2004, when he retired.
Michael Griffiths was born in London on 4 December 1928, to Hilda and Henry Griffiths. He attended a prep School in Brighton and then moved north to attend the Ampleforth Preparatory School at Gilling Castle in North Yorkshire and from there moved to Ampleforth School for his secondary education.
In 1946 he won a place at Balliol College in Oxford where he obtained a First Class BSc Honours Degree in Natural Sciences, majoring in Chemistry. Seven years later he obtained his MA.
On September 24 1950, after completing his studies at Oxford, he joined the Benedictine Community at Ampleforth Abbey and was given the religious name Ambrose (after the saint who was Bishop of Milan in the fourth century).
He was sent to the Benedictine House of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome where he studied Theology and was ordained Priest on July 21st 1957.
He taught Science, RE and woodwork at Ampleforth from 1958 - 1972, and became Head of the Science Department at the School.
From 1963 – 1971 he also taught dogmatic theology to the young monks of the community.
In 1972 he was appointed as Procurator (Bursar) of the Abbey and was responsible for the day to day running, and the financial matters of the Abbey.
In 1976 he was appointed Abbot of the Abbey by the Community and was in charge of Ampleforth for eight years until he was appointed as Parish priest of St Mary’s Parish in Leyland, Lancashire. As parish priest he was involved in all the usual day to day activities and societies of normal parish life.
As Parish Priest of Leyland he also had the title of Abbot of Westminster, a title he was given when he was not re-elected as Abbot of Ampleforth.
Bishop Ambrose Griffiths OSB
On 11 January 1992, Pope John Paul II announced that he had appointed the Rt Rev Ambrose Griffiths OSB (Order of St Benedict) as the eleventh Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle to succeed the Rt Rev Bishop Hugh Lindsay who had tendered his resignation as Bishop of the Diocese on the grounds of ill health.
On 20 March 1992, Ambrose Griffiths was Ordained as Bishop by the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Derek Worlock in St Mary’s Cathedal, Newcastle upon Tyne. Ambrose Griffiths was installed as Bishop of the Diocese in front of the priests and people of the Diocese, many Bishops of England and Wales, including Cardinal Basil Hume, the Archbishop of Westminster, the Abbot of Ampleforth prior to Ambrose Griffiths.
Bishop Ambrose tendered his resignation at the age of 75 to Pope John Paul II, a requirement necessary for all bishops. He was succeeded by Bishop Kevin Dunn (d. 2008). Bishop Seamus Cunningham is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths, 82, died peacefully on the afternoon of 14 June
2011, following his recent serious illness due to acute leukaemia.
For more information see: http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ambrose-griffiths
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