# David Silk (priest)

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English Anglican bishop turned Catholic priest (1936–2023)

The Reverend Monsignor David Silk Silk in 2009 Church Roman Catholic Church See Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Other post Anglican Bishop of Ballarat (1994–2003) Orders Ordination 1960 (Anglican priest) 2011 (Catholic priest) Consecration 23 February 1994 (Anglican bishop) by Robert Runcie Personal details Born (1936-08-23)23 August 1936 Died 20 September 2023(2023-09-20) (aged 87) Spouse Joyce ​ (m. 1957)​ Children 2 Alma mater St Stephen's House, Oxford

**Robert David Silk** (23 August 1936 – 20 September 2023) was an English priest of the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church). He was formerly an [Anglican](/source/Anglican) [bishop](/source/Bishop) and was the [Bishop of Ballarat](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_Ballarat) in the [Anglican Church of Australia](/source/Anglican_Church_of_Australia).[1]

## Early life and education

Silk was born on 23 August 1936.[2] He was educated at [Gillingham Grammar School](/source/The_Howard_School%2C_Kent), [Exeter University](/source/Exeter_University) and [St Stephen's House, Oxford](/source/St_Stephen's_House%2C_Oxford).[3]

## Ordained ministry

### Anglican ministry

Silk was ordained in the [Church of England](/source/Church_of_England): made a deacon during [Advent](/source/Advent) 1959 (20 December) by [Robert Stannard](/source/Robert_Stannard_(bishop)), [Dean of Rochester](/source/Dean_of_Rochester) (and [assistant bishop](/source/Assistant_bishop)), at [Rochester Cathedral](/source/Rochester_Cathedral),[4] and ordained a priest the following Advent (18 December 1960), by [Russell White](/source/Russell_White_(bishop)), [Bishop of Tonbridge](/source/Bishop_of_Tonbridge), at [Bexley](/source/Bexley) (St Mary's) Parish Church.[5] His first positions were [curacies](/source/Curate) at St Barnabas' [Gillingham](/source/Gillingham%2C_Kent) and Holy Redeemer, [Lamorbey](/source/Lamorbey). He then became the [priest in charge](/source/Priest_in_charge) of the Church of the Good Shepherd, [Blackfen](/source/Blackfen) followed by [incumbencies](/source/Vicar) at [Swanscombe](/source/Swanscombe)[6] and [St George's Church, Beckenham](/source/St_George's_Church%2C_Beckenham) (1975 to 1980).[3] He was then appointed the [Archdeacon of Leicester](/source/Archdeacon_of_Leicester).[7]

Silk was consecrated a bishop on 23 February 1994, by [George Carey](/source/George_Carey), [Archbishop of Canterbury](/source/Archbishop_of_Canterbury), at [Westminster Abbey](/source/Westminster_Abbey),[8] and moved to Australia where he became the eighth bishop of the rural Diocese of Ballarat. On his return to England from Australia in 2003 he served for eighteen months as full-time parish priest of St Michael's, [Amberley](/source/Amberley%2C_West_Sussex) (with North Stoke, Parham, Wiggonholt, and Greatham) in Sussex, before retiring to Devon where he was an honorary assistant bishop in the [Diocese of Exeter](/source/Diocese_of_Exeter).

### Roman Catholic ministry

Silk was received into the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church) in 2011.[3] He was ordained to the diaconate in that church on 15 February 2011 and the priesthood on 18 February 2011. In June 2012, he was elevated to the rank of [monsignor](/source/Monsignor) as a [Chaplain of His Holiness](/source/Chaplain_of_His_Holiness).

## Personal life and death

In 1957, Silk married Joyce Silk.[3][9] She predeceased her husband.[10] They had two children; a son and a daughter.[3]

Silk died at a Torquay hospital on 20 September 2023, following a fall the previous day. He was 87.[11][12]

## References

- [Christianity portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Christianity)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Ekklesia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110130011812/http://www.ekk.org/members). Archived from [the original](http://www.ekk.org/members) on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Who's Who](/source/Who's_Who) 2008: London, [A & C Black](/source/A_%26_C_Black), 2008 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7136-8555-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7136-8555-8)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Who's_Who_2016_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Who's_Who_2016_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Who's_Who_2016_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Who's_Who_2016_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Who's_Who_2016_3-4) ["SILK, Rev. Mgr (Robert) David"](http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U6337). *Who's Who 2016*. Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Advent Ordinations"](https://ukpressonline.co.uk/page-link/ChTm_1959_12_24_014). *[Church Times](/source/Church_Times)*. No. 5054. 24 December 1959. p. 14. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0009-658X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Advent Ordinations"](https://ukpressonline.co.uk/page-link/ChTm_1960_12_23_011). *[Church Times](/source/Church_Times)*. No. 5106. 23 December 1960. p. 11. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0009-658X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Bexley archives](https://archive.today/20121223131617/http://archives.bexley.gov.uk/Dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=(RefNo=='PA23E/1/J/5'))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Archdeacons of Leicester](http://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/CocksvolumeLXVII-5sm.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["New bishops and a new dean"](https://ukpressonline.co.uk/page-link/ChTm_1994_03_04_003). *[Church Times](/source/Church_Times)*. No. 6838. 4 March 1994. p. 3. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0009-658X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Anglican Communion Directory, March 2000](http://justus.anglican.org/resources/misc/angcommuniondirectory.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ordinariate_death_10-0)** [Newton, Keith](/source/Keith_Newton_(prelate)) (20 September 2023). ["Latest News - Death of Monsignor David Silk"](https://www.ordinariate.org.uk/news/OrdinariateNews.php?Dearth-of-Monsignor-David-Silk-589). *www.ordinariate.org.uk*. Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Retrieved 21 September 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["The Rev. David Silk"](https://blackfenpastandpresent.com/2023/10/04/the-rev-david-silk/). *Blackfen Past and Present*. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Silk, Rev. Mgr (Robert) David"](https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-6337?rskey=tF60s9&result=1). *WHO WAS WHO 2025*. Retrieved 2 February 2025.

v t e Bishops of Ballarat Samuel Thornton Arthur Green Maxwell Maxwell-Gumbleton Philip Crick William Johnson William Hardie John Hazlewood David Silk Michael Hough Garry Weatherill

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