Many congratulations to Fr John Johnson, who celebrated 50 years of Priesthood this week at a Mass at the beautiful church of St Mary in Wigan (his home parish!). A well respected and much loved priest.
Ad multos annos!
Archbishop Malcolm preached on Fr Johnson's natural ability to feed the sheep.
Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams was also in attendance.
Congratulations!
A cake presented by Fr Paul Grady, one of the vocations ordained at St Mary's, and Benedict Ratchford, server at the Mass and part of the Youth Ministry Team in the Archdiocese.
More photographs at the Archdiocesan Flickr site all courtesy of Nick Fairhurst ( an old friend and parishioner at my former parish of st Cuthbert's in Wigan.)
Interestingly, I think I'm right in saying that Fr Johnson and Fr Canon Christopher Cunningham (also originally from St Mary's and celebrating Mass with Fr Johnson here, were the last priests in the Archdiocese to be ordained under the old form, before the changes after Vatican II. Interestingly, the first ordinations in the Traditional Form for 50 years in the Archdiocese will take place next month at another St Mary's - in Warrington - when Archbishop Malcolm will ordain deacons Alex Stewart and Krzysztof Sanetra to the Pristhood.
2 comments:
The vestments! I've seen some shockers in my time but never anything as appalling as these.
I remember when, like most other parishes in Wigan, St Mary's had a parish priest and two curates, including, at some point in the early 70s, a newly-ordained priest by the name of Vincent Nicholls. I understand that Father Johnson's successor is going to be in sole charge of four or five parishes!
It is impossible to imagine any of them consenting to wear such hideous vestments as the ones which, in these photographs, spoil what was obviously otherwise such a wonderful occasion.
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