Fr Alan Hodgson
Dean of the Cathedral Church
alan.hodgson@rcdea.org.uk
Fr Alan Hodgson is the Dean of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. This means that he represents the bishop in the running of the Cathedral Church. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, is a former aircraft fitter and Operations Manager at Gatwick Airport. Fr Alan trained at the Beda College in Rome and was ordained in the Cathedral in 2019, and has since served as a priest in St Mary, Ipswich, and Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge.
Fr Mark Ashwood
Assistant Priest
mark.ashwood@rcdea.org.uk
Fr Mark Ashwood is the Assistant Priest at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, supporting the Dean in the daily running of the parish. He is also part of the Chaplaincy team at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Fr Mark previously worked as an occupational therapist in hand therapy. He holds a PhD in Medicine and Health Sciences from the University of East Anglia and trained for the priesthood at Allen Hall Seminary in London. Fr Mark was ordained in 2023 and previously served at Bury St Edmunds before joining the Cathedral.
Cathedral Staff
Charley Purves
Cathedral Manager – gm@sjbcathedral.org.uk
David Grealy
Director of Music – music@sjbcathedral.org.uk
Cathy Casey
Cathedral Secretary – parish@sjbcathedral.org.uk
Richard Maguire
Learning & Heritage Officer – heritage@sjbcathedral.org.uk
Becci Roberts
Catering Manager – cateringmanager@sjbcathedral.org.uk
Vivien Thomas
Shop Supervisor – shop@sjbcathedral.org.uk
Linda Harper & Isabella Fox
Parish Safeguarding Representative – safeguarding.sjb@gmail.com
Bishop Peter Collins
Bishop Peter Collins, born on May 13, 1958, in Tredegar, South Wales, was raised in Rhymney and educated in local Catholic schools. After briefly considering teaching, he entered seminary in 1978 and was ordained in 1984 for the Archdiocese of Cardiff. His ministry included roles as Assistant Priest, Vice Rector at the Royal English College, and Parish Priest. He served as Dean of Cardiff Cathedral for 18 years. In 2022, he was appointed Bishop of East Anglia and ordained on December 14, 2022. Throughout his career, he has contributed significantly to diocesan education and safeguarding efforts.
Our Previous Bishops
2013 – 2022:
Bishop Alan Hopes
2003 – 2011:
Bishop Michael Evans
Died 11 July 2011, buried in the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist at Norwich.
1995 – 2001:
Bishop Peter Smith
Died 6 March 2020, buried in the Metropolitan Catholic Church of St George at Southwark.
1976 – 1995:
Bishop Alan Clark
Died 11 July 2011, buried in the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist at Norwich.
