ONE of the Archdiocese of Liverpool's most senior clergymen Bishop Vincent Malone has died after testing positive for coronavirus aged 88.

The Right Reverend Vincent Malone, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Liverpool and Titular Bishop of Abora died on Monday morning (May 18) at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

He was admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool covers the Roman Catholic parishes in St Helens.

Bishop Vincent trained for the priesthood at St Joseph's College, Upholland, and was ordained priest at St Oswald's Church, Old Swan, Liverpool on 18 September 1955.

After a number of years spent in the teaching profession, mainly at Cardinal Allen Grammar School, Liverpool, he became chaplain to the University of Liverpool in 1971 and then administrator of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in 1979.

On May 13, 1989 he was named as Titular Bishop of Abora and Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, and received episcopal consecration the following July 3.

His resignation as Auxiliary Bishop was accepted on October 26, 2006, shortly after his 75th birthday, but he continued in his roles as Vicar General and Trustee of the Archdiocese until last year and as Canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter until his death.

Vincent was born in Liverpool on September 11, 1931. His early education was in the local parish school at St Oswald's, Old Swan. From 1942 to 1949 he attended St Francis Xavier College which was then run by the Jesuits in Salisbury Street, Liverpool. At the age of eighteen he went to St Joseph's College, Upholland to study for the priesthood and was ordained in his home parish of St Oswald, Old Swan on 18 September 1955.

His first appointment was to be chaplain at Notre Dame Convent and College in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool (1955-1959) and while there he studied at Liverpool University and was awarded a Bachelor of Science (B Sc) in 1959. From Cambridge University he obtained in 1960 a Post graduate Certificate in education (PGCE) and in 1964 a Diploma in Education (Dip Ed). In 1967 he became a Fellow of the College of Preceptors (FcollP).

From 1960 to 1961 he served as assistant priest at St Anne's, Overbury Street, Liverpool and was a part-time teacher at St Francis Xavier's Preparatory School which was at that time also the Cathedral Choir School. Then for the next ten years (1961-1971) he served on the staff of Cardinal Allen Grammar school for Boys, first as an assistant teacher and eventually as Head of the Department for Religious Studies.

In 1971 he was appointed by Archbishop Beck as Catholic Chaplain to the University of Liverpool based in the Chaplaincy on Mount Pleasant. In 1979 Archbishop Worlock appointed him as Administrator of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and the following year he was appointed Honorary Prelate (Monsignor) and Canon of the Metropolitan Chapter.

In 1980 he was elected chairman of convocation of Liverpool University, the first churchman to hold that post. During his three year term of office the University celebrated its centenary in 1981.

He has also served as chairman of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests, Northern Regional Coordinator for the 1982 Papal Visit, Deputy Speaker of the Merseyside and Region Churches Ecumenical Assembly and Chairman of its Standing Committee. In 1981 he was appointed to be a member of Archbishop's Council and a Trustee of the Archdiocese, in which capacity he served until 2019.

He also served as chairman of the Bishops' Conference Committee for Higher Education and as Episcopal Liaison for the National Board of Catholic Women.

A statement from the Archdiocese of Liverpool added: "It is with great sadness that the death is announced of the Right Reverend Vincent Malone, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Liverpool and Titular Bishop of Abora.

"May he rest in peace."