Parish Counsel
Meet the members of our four parish communities who were elected to form our parish counsel. (There are some more profiles to come!)
I was born in 1970 in Sunderland and attended St Joseph’s and St Aidan’s Schools. After A levels and entered Ushaw College the seminary in 1988 and was ordained priest in 1994. I have served in the parishes of St Peter’s, Low Fell (where Fr John James was my parish priest and first guide in parish priestly life. After 4 years there I moved to St Aidan’s and Holy Cross, Wallsend, again as an assistant priest.
In 2000 I was appointed parish priest of St Godric’s and St Bede’s in Durham and after 6 years left to become the parish priest of St Patrick’s In Hartlepool. Soon after that I was also given the care of St Teresa’s, Hartlepool. When St Teresa’s closed I was given care of St Cuthbert’s, Hartlepool alongside the area covering the two former parishes.
I move to Winlaton on 31st December 2016 and became parish priest of St Joseph’s, Blaydon and St Anne’s in Winlaton. I began to help Fr James with St Joseph’s, Highfield at the end of 2019 and in August 2024 was also asked to become parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Chopwell and St Joseph’s, Highfield. Alongside parish ministry I have also been chaplain to the QE, Dryburn and Lanchester Road Hospitals. I have been closely associated with St Thomas More School, Wallsend and English Martyrs, Hartlepool as well as supporting all the primary schools in the parishes I have served. I spent a little time as secretary to the late Bishop Swindlehurst and have helped the chaplaincy teams in Low Newton and Durham Prisons.
I am the Episcopal Vicar for Caritas in the diocese which involves supporting the outreach and inclusion work across the diocese.
As a cradle Catholic, I am a husband, dad, NHS Manager, and a deacon. As the deacon attached to our parishes, I try my best to imitate the icon of Christ the Servant, which is the prime aspect of being a deacon. I am honoured to be your deacon, but I wish I had more time to walk more frequently with you all.
Despite being a cradle Catholic and a deacon, I am still trying to work out what it means to follow Christ. I struggle with prayer, I try to be better at reading and understanding Scripture, working out how and what the Word of God can say to us in daily life. I love reading around bits and pieces to do with our faith, our church (I think I am a frustrated academic at heart!) I think being a Christian, a Catholic, is not easy, and I am continually challenging my own thinking, pondering on the need for the church to be as relevant as possible to the world around us. I am coming to realise that God’s mercy towards us, his love for us, his acceptance of us as we are, alongside the gentle power of the Holy Spirit to continually nudge us and surprise us, are key attributes to how I view my faith.
I was born and have spent my life in this parish (Sacred Heart, Low Westwood / Our Lady of Lourdes, Chopwell). I was ordained to the Diaconate in 2007.
Following the guidance, encouragement and support of my parents, Church and Church Community have always been an important part of my life.
Throughout my ministry, I am reminded of the image of Jesus kneeling and washing the feet of his disciples, "Do as I have done".
As a member of the "Seniors Cub", I sometimes struggle, but by God's Grace, and with the wonderful support I receive from parishioners, I will continue to serve our parish communities for as long as I am able.
I was born and brought up in Blaydon, spending a childhood full of happy memories with Mum, Dad and my older brother and sister. I was baptised by my Great Uncle Jack, who was a Mill Hill Missionary in Africa (his letters to me were the best). We always attended St Joseph’s church, and Mum and Dad are still active members of the Parish community and read and sing in the choir. I attended both St Joseph’s Primary School and St Thomas More Secondary School.
I have been a nurse in the NHS for 35 years and since 2021 have been a Nurse Safeguarding Advisor for South Tyneside and Sunderland Hospitals and Community Teams. I am also interested in supporting our children and young people, especially those with special educational needs and I was a school governor for a while for a special educational needs school, which was a fantastic and rewarding opportunity.
Attending Mass has never been as important to me as it is now, and every time I attend, I bring something away which helps me make sense of life. I love the positive sense of a community we have within our Parish, and our churches are full of fabulous people. Being a member of the Parish Counsel is an enormous privilege, and I look forward to supporting the journey to develop and grow our faith community and to listen, support and represent everyone in our Parish and our wider communities.
I am 68 years of age and married to Michelle, I have two adult children who have flown the nest, but they return like homing pigeons for which I am eternally grateful. I joined the Royal Air force and served for 11 years, being stationed around the world from the north of Scotland to the South Atlantic. I continue to work as a company director, but I am planning to retire next year.
I worship at St. Josephs Highfield in Rowlands Gill where I am one of the Readers, Eucharistic Ministers and Health and Safety Officer, I enjoy visiting the sick and house bound and enjoy conversations and listing to some of their life stories. I am also the Safeguarding Office at Our Lady of Lourdes Chopwell.
I believe that being a Christian is more than a one our period per week and try to practice the teachings of Jesus in my everyday life, even with all the challenges this brings.
Originally from South Africa, I moved to the UK in 2000. I am married to Andrea; I am a mom of 2 boys and 2 step daughters.
My faith is very important to me, and I feel very strongly about passing these beliefs on to the young children in our Church at St. Joseph’s, Blaydon. I take the Children’s Liturgy classes and organise Children’s Masses. I am part of the social committee team. And help with CAFOD and Warm Spaces.
I have been the Parish Secretary since 2025.
I’m a native of Stockton-on-Tees, attending St Patrick’s church and three Catholic schools:-St Patrick’s primary; Our Lady and St Bede; and crossing the water to Middlesbrough for St Mary’s VI Form College –still run by Marist Fathers at the time – where I first became interested in theology. I’m married to Diane who is Vicar of Blaydon, Rowlands Gill and High Spen, and we have three grown-up children. Having worked in systems development for much of my career, in 2015 I switched to complete a PhD in theology at Durham University, where I now work in the Centre for Catholic Studies. My role incudes leading the theological formation programme for men training to become permanent deacons in the North of England and North Wales, having previously been director of adult faith formation in Hallam Diocese.
At St Joseph’s Blaydon I help organise and lead the music, and outside of church I’m often to be found behind a drum kit in jazz bands. I arrived in Blaydon towards the end of pandemic, and it has been a joy to be welcomed so warmly and find people open to trying new things whilst taking our faith seriously and lovingly. I find great comfort and friendship in the Northern Saints, and in reading the Bible, and am inspired by Pope Francis’ vision of a church of missionary disciples which can be a home to everyone –“todos, todos, todos!”.
I was born at Diston nr Corbridge in June 1963. From an early age, after I visited Lourdes, I was interested in religion, history and art. When I was at school, I typed and later became a data processor then a typist. I’m retired now. I have travelled extensively, highlights including meeting St John Paul II, RWC CUP 2003, Holy Land twice and Holy Door at St Peter’s, Vatican City and Austria, my favourite country.
I love mountains, lakes and pilgrimage places. I practice with singing group when I can. I read at church and try to take part in liturgy during the church seasons. I’ve been a member of the parish counsel before and look forward to working with the new counsel. I’ve also set up my own parish website but try to include weekly services when I can. I’m also interested in languages.
I was born in Blaydon and was part of St Joseph's Parish until I moved away to train as a teacher. When I came back I became part of St Anne's Parish with my wife Rachel and we had two children, Agnes and Eliza. I am a keen walker and runner, regularly doing Wainwright hills and Great North Runs.
I am also a keen actor. I have taken many roles at the Little Theatre Gateshead including Macbeth, The Crucible and Death of a Salesman.