October 17th at 3.00pm marks the beginning of my ministry in Brentwood. The Church, of course, has a ceremony to mark this occasion and I hope you will be able to join me on a Saturday afternoon at the Institution and Induction ceremony. It is so good to be back in Essex, where I was brought up in my early years and encouraged along by the congregation at St John the Baptist, Loughton.

After training for the ministry at Westcott House in Cambridge, I served two curacies in the Manchester Diocese, at St Thomas & St John in Radcliffe and then at All Saints & Martyrs in Langley, Middleton. Later, I became Rector of Byfield & Boddington with Aston-le-Walls in the Peterborough Diocese, before becoming a chaplain in the Royal Air Force for eighteen years. As part of the military 'Resettlement' package, offered to service personnel towards the end of their service life, I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course with the Maryvale International Catholic Institute, becoming a Secondary RE teacher last year.

Although I love teaching, and have had an eye-opening experience as a supply teacher in various schools in Norfolk and Suffolk, I always knew that the Lord called me to be a priest first. It took a while to seek the right calling, visiting various positions and parishes with a view to becoming a school chaplain or parish priest. I had driven up and down the country and I began to wonder why none of these positions felt appropriate.

One evening, surfing the Internet, I found myself looking at the Chelmsford Diocesan website and wondered what vacancies they had there – after all, it was like going back to my roots - back to Essex. At the top of the list was Brentwood - St Thomas. I felt a calling! Everything ticked the right boxes in my 'ideal parish' mindset, but I had missed the application deadline… Yet, why was it still being advertised? All the same, I called the Bishop of Bradwell’s chaplain - and here I am.

It was a long process, including a first visit to Brentwood and meeting the two Parish Representatives. They looked as though they had reached the limit of their patience, after having shown so many prospective clergy around the Church and vicarage. Within minutes I warmed to their enthusiasm and am grateful to them both for their honesty and encouragement from that meeting to this day. The rest is history now.

My family and I look forward to living in Brentwood, where we will begin new careers and make new friends. Jacqui, my wife, will have to leave her post as Ward Sister at the West Suffolk Hospital and she hopes to find a similar post locally. She enjoys singing and watching all sports, especially tennis. My daughter, Elizabeth, is looking forward to returning to University soon, to complete a teacher-training course and Emma, my younger daughter, is completing her fourth and final year reading Architectural Technology. Andrew, my son, is starting his 'A' levels at a school in Norfolk.

We all look forward to the opportunity of meeting you at church on Saturday 17th October, as well as at services thereafter. Father Colin