Bishop of Lancaster and parish priest in Ulverston both suffer injuries in cycling accidents

Bishop Paul Swarbrick of Lancaster Cathedral has been in a cycling accident and will be out of action for a few weeks.
Bishop Paul Swarbrick. Picture by Marcin Mazur.Bishop Paul Swarbrick. Picture by Marcin Mazur.
Bishop Paul Swarbrick. Picture by Marcin Mazur.

Fr Stephen Pearson from Lancaster Cathedral also said that one of the two parish priests in Ulverston, (part of the Diocese of Lancaster), Canon Paul Embery, also fell off his bike when exercising and he had injuries to his wrist which needed surgery.

Fr Stephen Pearson said: “The bishop has always been a keen cyclist and he was cycling as his form of exercise in Morecambe when he was involved in an accident.

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“In Bare where he lives he was cycling past a parked car and the door opened as he was passing and knocked him off his bike.

“He ended up in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary that Friday afternoon a week ago and on the Sunday he was allowed home.

“He has fractured his skull and damaged his left ear.

“He is a very fit man but he is sensible and is recovering at this time and will be for three or four weeks.

“A number of services were broadcast during Holy Week from the cathedral and the bishop has been doing a short 10 minute weekly invitation to prayer which was filmed at the cathedral.

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“These things are not now possible but hopefully we will see him back very soon.

“His health is very good at 61-years-of-age.

“The severity of the incident was quite a shock and when I spoke to him he sounded quite shaken.

“He will be back as soon as he can.

“The bishop is forbidden to go near a bike now!

“The younger of the two parish priests in Ulverston, Canon Embery, also fell off his bike when exercising and he suffered injuries to his wrist which required surgery.

“With less traffic on the roads the chances of the accidents being more serious were reduced.

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“Nevertheless the injuries they have both sustained are painful and that is why we have been praying for them.

“We wish them both a speedy recovery.”

Bishop Swarbrick has been ordained as a priest since 1982 and served on missions in Zambia for fifteen years.

In 2015 he was made a Canon of Lancaster Cathedral Chapter.

He was announced as the seventh Bishop of Lancaster by Pope Francis on February 12 2018 and ordained Bishop and installed as Diocesan Bishop by Bishop Michael Campbell on April 9 2018 at St Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster.