About Us
The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic bishops in these two countries. It is an expression of the collegiality of the bishops. Through it they proclaim the Gospel to the people of England and Wales.
All the Bishops of England and Wales meet together twice a year to decide policies for the Church at a national level. These week-long gatherings occur soon after Easter (Low Week) and in November. Picture of the bishops above – beside this sentence.
Each bishop chairs a committee of experts dealing with a specific area of concern for the Church. Committees are grouped into departments for practical purposes.
Departments of the Bishops' Conference
The administration of the Bishops' Conference is funded by a levy on each diocese, varying according to its size. A General Secretariat in London co-ordinates and supervises the Bishops' Conference administration activities. Read the Secretariat's Vision, Mission and Values Statement
General Secretariat
The General Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops' Conference has responsibility for overall administration of the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CaTEW).
CaTEW is a trust established by the Bishops' Conference to be the main vehicle in civil law in which its activities at a national level are carried out.
CaTEW is a registered charity (No. 1097482) and also a company limited by guarantee (No. 4734592).
The Bishops themselves are the members of the company and therefore both own it and appoint the Board of Directors.
The CaTEW Board brings together lay people with relevant experience and expertise to oversee the efficient and effective administration of the Trust and to ensure that through its activities it gives effect to the policy decisions and intentions of the Bishops of England and Wales. It is chaired by a member of the Bishops' Conference, presently Bishop Malcolm McMahon, the Bishop of Nottingham.
For more information, please contact Lorraine Welch.
Tel: 020 7901 4815
Email: lorraine.welch@cbcew.org.uk
Attached to the General Secretariat is the Catholic Communications Network which deals with media relations. Other agencies that act on the bishops' behalf, and consultative bodies to which the bishops have recourse, are listed elsewhere in these pages.