Mgr Paul Watson is a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.  In September 2000, he became the Director of Maryvale Institute after serving as Parish Priest in two parishes in the Archdiocese.

Mgr. Watson undertook his studies for the priesthood at Oscott College in Birmingham (1968-73), and was ordained in January 1974. He later studied for his Licence in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, specialising in Catholic Spirituality. In 2004 he received a Masters Degree in Education from the Open University.

He has a wide experience as a writer and speaker. As a co-founder of the monthly magazine Bible Alive, he has been a regular contributor since 2006. His articles also feature regularly in Maryvale’s Catechetical Journal The Sower, in the New Diaconal Review and Faith Today. He has also contributed to published Symposia such as Hear O Islands, A Garland of Silver and the published papers of various catechetical conferences. He has also written course books for several of Maryvale’s degree programmes – most recently for the new Maryvale MA in Apologetics.

As a speaker, he has given a number of retreats for priests and lay people, as well as talks in parishes, and at conferences at home and overseas – focussing particularly on Catechesis and Scripture.

Under his leadership Maryvale Institute has grown as an International College of Distance Learning in Catholic Theology and Philosophy, in Catechesis and Religious Education, in Apologetics and Marriage and the Family – providing accessible and flexible programmes at both degree and non-degree levels, and supporting dioceses at home and abroad..In March 2011, Maryvale was erected by the Holy See as an Ecclesiastically approved Higher Institute of Religious Sciences. He believes that Maryvale is implementing the vision of Blessed John Henry Newman of supporting the development of a “laity well-educated in the Faith”.