11 Facts About Geoffrey Burke

Bishop Geoffrey Ignatius Burke MA was an English Roman Catholic bishop.

Geoffrey Burke was born in Whalley Range, Manchester, in 1913, the son of Doctor Peter Burke and his wife Margaret Mary.

Geoffrey Burke was one of seven children and his elder brother Donatus became a Priest of the Salford Diocese, he was educated at St Bede's College, Manchester, from 1924 and Stonyhurst College from 1928.

Geoffrey Burke studied for the Priesthood at Oscott College where he was ordained on 29 June 1937 by Archbishop Thomas Leighton Williams.

Geoffrey Burke then went to Downing College, Cambridge, where he gained his MA in 1940.

At St Bede's he taught Ian Kershaw who later said Geoffrey Burke was "a marvellous teacher and I owe him a lot".

In 1966 following the retirement of Monsignor Thomas Duggan through ill health, Geoffrey Burke was appointed Rector of the college but only remained in the post for a year before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Salford by Pope Paul VI in 1967 to assist Bishop Thomas Holland.

Geoffrey Burke took the title of Titular Bishop of Vagrauta, being consecrated in Salford Cathedral on 29 June 1967 by Bishop Holland.

Geoffrey Burke then took up residence at Salford Cathedral House.

Bishop Geoffrey Burke continued in his role of Auxiliary Bishop following Bishop Holland's retirement and during the early years of Bishop Patrick Kelly's time as Bishop of Salford.

Bishop Geoffrey Burke took up residence at Nazareth House, Prestwich, and then later at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Longsight, where he died on 13 October 1999, aged 86.