The Most Reverend Richard Moth installed as Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales
On Saturday, 14th February 2026, Old Juddian Richard Moth was installed as the 12th Archbishop of Westminster at an Installation Mass in Westminster Cathedral. His installation followed the public reading of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Westminster. He was then presented with the Westminster crozier, symbol of his office as bishop by Cardinal Vincent Nichols. After being greeted as the new Archbishop by the clergy and others from the Westminster dioceses, he was then greeted by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally on behalf of the co-presidents of Churches Together in England.
Archbishop Richard attended Judd from1969 – 1976, after which he went to St. John’s Seminary in Wonersh and Sain Paul University in Ottowa, where he studied canon law. He was ordained within the Archdiocese of Southwark in 1982, where he served as assistant priest in Clapham Park and then in Lewisham. He then became private secretary to Archbishop Michael Bowen, as well as serving as Vicar General, before being appointed as Bishop to the Forces in 2009. He served in this role until 2019, when he became Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.
Archbishop Richard has continued his links with Judd, and has been a regular attendee at Old Juddian Society dinners – he is included in the photographs of our 101 st dinner. He also regularly meets up with a group of former classmates from the 1976 leavers cohort for a curry and a chat – and assures us that he will continue to
do so in spite of his new responsibilities!
A sizeable group of the “Class of ‘76” were privileged to be at his installation, and are pictured below at the reception in Archbishop’s House following the ceremony.