Who's Who in the parish?
Our Parochial Administrator is Father Dylan James. Fr Dylan has been our priest since July 2007, having previously served in Exeter and Poole. He was ordained on 2nd December 1998 and is the youngest priest in the Plymouth Diocese.
He is native to our diocese, having been raised in Paignton in Devon and if his accent puzzles you, he has a Welsh father and an American mother.
Fr Dylan is a member of the Faith Movement , a national Catholic organisation that does a lot of work with young people and runs annual youth weeks to help young adults grow in knowledge of the Faith and maturity in their love of God. He also teaches Moral Theology at St John's Seminary at Wonersh near Guildford and recently finished a doctorate in Bioethics in Rome.
Before training for the priesthood he got a degree in Mathematical Physics and continues to be interested in the relationship between science and religion. His formation for the priesthood was at Oscott College seminary in Birmingham. Fr Dylan attributes his priestly vocation to his family’s religious example, and the message and intercession of Our Lady of Fatima.
Father Dylan can be contacted on +44 (0)1747 852125, or click on his photo to email him.
Our Deacon is Deacon Michael Hughes. Recommended for the diaconate by our previous parish priest, Fr Brian Reeves, his formation took place both in the parish and at the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham.
He spent four years in the chaplaincy at our local prison at Guy’s Marsh. Before that he worked as a volunteer on night duty at Damascus House, the hostel for the homeless in Salisbury run by Alabare Christian Care Centres.
For three years he was chairman of our local LIFE group. (LIFE offers free confidential information, counselling and support for women contemplating abortion and for those struggling to cope with the effects of abortion.)
He is at present Co-ordinator for the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Cecilia, in Blandford Forum which is about 12 miles south of Shaftesbury. He is also assistant director of our diocesan formation team for the permanent diaconate, and in this role visits the trainees at St John's Seminary at Wonersh near Guildford on one Sunday each month, as well as visiting men across the diocese who are exploring their vocation to the permanent diaconate.
Deacon Michael can be contacted on 01747 830766.
Other posts are:
| Chairman of the Finance Committee | Paul Bowe | |
| Parish Treasurer | Patrick Butler | |
| Health & Safety Officer | Michael Davies-Sellick | |
| Chairman of the Social Committee | Marian Bateson | |
| Gift Aid Co-Ordinator | Sebastian Holmes | |
| Child Protection & Safeguarding | Jillian La Vallette-Robins | 01747-854803 |
| Marion Shouler | 01747-852532 | |
| Webmaster | Sebastian Holmes |