This week Fr Tomy leaves us after five years ministry here. He followed Fr James back in 2010 (who is now a parish priest in Jacksonville, Florida, by the way). I find it hard to imagine what Fr Tomy faced when he came. His ministry had been in schools, not in parishes, he had not lived ever with fewer than six or seven people, came from a different cultural background, and close to his family. Now he was in the UK, far from his relations, serving in a parish, and living with just me! How different it must have all been…

He slowly settled in and got to know everybody, and has found a special place in our 3 Churches. He made strong contact with others from his home state of Kerala, particularly those who, like him, belong to the Syro-Malabar Rite. We must remember that we belong to just one Rite of the Catholic Church, the so-called Latin Rite. There are many others, such as the Maronite Rite centred in Lebanon, and the Chaldean Rite, centred in Iraq. Fr Tomy was not at all used to celebrating Mass in our rite, and that was, as they say, a steep learning curve for him.

The Sacraments have been central in his ministry here – the Mass, Confessions, Communion to the Sick. We have shared all the Baptisms and Funerals, again an area where local traditions have to be taken onboard.

Now he leaves us for the Merthyr Tydfil group of parishes where he will work with Fr Barry English (a very distant relation of mine). The group comprises St Mary’s in Merthyr itself, where Fr Barry lives, St Illtyd’s in Dowlais, where a permanent deacon lives in the house much of the time, St Benedict’s in Merthyr Vale, which covers the village of Aberfan, known to all of us, and St Aloysius in the Gurnos area, where he will be resident.

So another new environment awaits him, but he can be assured of our prayers and best wishes as he moves on Friday. I hope that many will be able to attend his farewell Mass and bring-and-share supper on Thursday evening at 7.30pm.

Fr Matthew