Clergy summer moves

The Archbishop announces clergy moves for September:

Cathedral and University: Fr Robert James moves from the Cathedral to Mountain Ash/ Hirwaun/ Aberdare. Fr Michael Doyle moves to the Cathedral from Newport as Parish Priest and Vocations Director. He will also be Diocesan Coordinator for the Jubilee Year in 2025. Fr Elliot Hanson also moves to the Cathedral from Newport, as Assistant, as Chaplain to the University, and Vocations Promoter in the Archdiocese. Fr Nicholas Williams moves to St Albans Royal College, (the English College pre-seminary) Valladolid as a member of the Formation Staff. The Archbishop points out that although we are stretched for priests in our Dioceses, it is important for us to be generous to the wider needs of the Church, too.

Newport: The Nigerian Province of the Dominicans assume the overall oversight of All Saints, Newport – Fr Stephen Ogbe OP moves from mid-Wales to become Parish Priest and Fr Richard Odok OP, who recently arrived from Nigeria, joins him. A third Dominican will join them next year.  Within Newport, the Ordinariate assume pastoral responsibility for Ss Basil and Gwladys Church, Rogerstone. Fr Bernard Sixtus takes up priestly ministry there and in Usk, alongside his work for our Schools as Director of Religious Education. The Syro-Malabar Eparchy have agreed to assume pastoral oversight of St David’s Church, Maesglas in Newport, where Fr Mathew Palarakarottu moves as Priest-in-Charge.

Canons: Canon Paul Millar moves from Leominster to Pontypool/ Blaenavon. Belmont Abbey assume oversight of Leominster/ Bromyard. Canon Mike Evans has recently moved from St Patrick’s Grangetown to Barry. Canon Eddie O’Connell has resigned from Ecclesiastical Office.  We give thanks for his generous priestly ministry and wish him well in this next phase of priestly service.

Also: Fr Valentine Mobuogwu has moved to St Patrick’s as Priest-in-Charge. He will be joined there shortly by Fr Malachy Orjiebele and Fr Solomon Ugwummadu, from the Diocese of Issele-Uku, Nigeria. Fr Lawrence Agyepong remains in residence at Tredegar for this period of orientation. Fr Denis Opoku will arrive from Accra, Ghana, during the summer and will spend some months of orientation with other priests before taking up an appointment.

We keep all concerned in our prayers.