Bishop Paul Hendricks: Auxiliary Bishop for the Kent Area: Archdiocese of Southwark

Bishop Paul Hendricks is the Auxiliary Bishop for the Kent Area of Southwark, with responsibility for pastoral care for seven deaneries.

Paul Hendricks was born in Beckenham, Kent on 18th March, 1956, the first of four children. He grew up in Orpington, Kent and attended Holy Innocents Primary School and St Mary's Grammar School, Sidcup, Kent. On leaving school he went up to Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1974 and was awarded a degree in Physics in 1977.

He worked for two years at the GEC Hirst Research Centre, Wembley before going to study for the priesthood at the English College, Rome, from 1979 to 1985. He obtained a Licence in Philosophy from the Gregorian University, Rome.

Ordained deacon at Palazzola, by Bishop Cyril Restieaux in 1983, he was ordained priest at Holy Innocents, Orpington, by Archbishop Michael Bowen in 1984. His first appointment, in 1985, as Assistant Priest was to St Boniface, Tooting. In 1989 he was appointed Philosophy Lecturer and Bursar at St John's Seminary, Wonersh.

His next appointment was as parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows, Peckham, in 1999 following the departure of the Capuchins. He also serves on the Diocesan Finance Committee and is the Diocesan Advisor on New Religious Movements and Cults.
He was ordained by Archbishop Kevin McDonald on 14th February 2006, taking up responsibility for the South West pastoral area of the Diocese. In July 2022 Bishop Paul accepted Archbishop Wilson's request to transfer his episcopal responsibility from the South-West Area to Kent.