Crispian Hollis

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Roger Francis Crispian Hollis (born 17 November 1936, in Bristol) is the Bishop of Portsmouth. His parents were Christopher Hollis (1902-1977), the author and parliamentarian, and Madeleine Hollis (née King). Both parents were converts to the Catholic faith.

Crispian Hollis was at school at Stonyhurst College and did his national service in the Somerset Light Infantry, serving in the United Kingdom and in Malaya. In 1956 he went up to the University of Oxford to read Modern History as a member of Balliol College, taking his degree in 1959. In that year he went to Rome to start training for the priesthood, reading Philosophy and Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University as a member of the Venerable English College, and obtaining the Licence in Sacred Theology in 1966. He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1965.

After one year as a curate at Christ the King, Amesbury, Wiltshire, Crispian Hollis went to the Old Palace, The Catholic Chaplaincy in University of Oxford, where he worked from 1967-1977, first as Assistant to Father Michael Hollings, then as Chaplain. In 1977 he was appointed Catholic Assistant to the Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC.

In 1981 he was appointed as Administrator of Clifton Cathedral in Bristol and Vicar General of the diocese of Clifton, with special responsibility for ecumenical affairs. While still in this post, he was appointed a member of the IBA's panel of Religious Advisers and in 1986 became a member of CRAC (the Central Religious Advisory Committee) for BBC and IBA.

In February 1987 he was appointed as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Birmingham with special responsibility for the Oxfordshire area, before he was installed as Bishop of Portsmouth on 27 January 1989.

He has been Chairman of the Catholic Media Trust and also Chairman of the Bishops' Committee for Europe. He is member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Vatican. He is Chairman of the Bishops' Conference Department of Mission and Unity, Representative for the Bishops' Conference of the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and a Member of IARCCUM (International Anglican Roman Catholic Committee for Unity and Mission). He enjoys cricket and golf and takes an interest in current affairs.

Bishop Crispian actively encourages people to travel to Lourdes and indeed he has a great attachment to Lourdes, first going there in 1967 as Chaplain with the Oxford University Pilgrimage and then going annually with them until 1981. On returning to the Diocese of Clifton he travelled with the Clifton Pilgrimage each year up until 1986 and with the Portsmouth Diocese since 1987.

Portsmouth Diocese together with the Dioceses of Clifton, East Anglia, Northampton and Southwark, plus Stonyhurst College travel each year with the Catholic Association Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Bishop Hollis is the Patron of the Catholic Association Hospitalité.