A RECENTLY retired Bishop will be presented with a prestigious order this weekend.

Bishop Thomas McMahon – until recently the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood – will be presented with the Order of St Cedd by Stephen Cottrell, the Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford, at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday.

The Order of St Cedd has been awarded to Bishop Thomas to honour his contribution to the life of the church and gospel in Essex and East London.

He retired as Bishop of Brentwood in April this year after being appointed in 1980.

Bishop Stephen will preach a sermon on Christian unity at the service. Of Bishop Thomas, he said: “Bishop Thomas’ contribution has been transformative for the unity and witness of the church in this region.”

The Order comprises the Cross of St Cedd and comes with a blue ribbon.

St Cedd (c 620-664 AD) was decisive in the conversion of the East Saxons to Christianity. Chelmsford Cathedral is dedicated to St Cedd as well as to St Mary and St Peter.

The dioceses of Brentwood and Chelmsford cover the same area – the county of Essex and the east London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.