CHANGING TIMES IN OUR INLAND FAMILY OF PARISHES 

As we give thanks for God’s gift to the Church of a new Pope in Leo XIV and prepare to welcome our new Archbishop, John Sherrington, we also prepare for some changes within our own Deanery in the autumn. 

For the last fourteen years, St Mary’s, Woolton, has been blessed by the dedicated ministry of the Redemptorist community based at Bishop Eton. Beginning in the autumn, pastoral responsibility for St Mary’s will return to the Archdiocese. We are in debt to the Redemptorists for their generosity over these years, but we must recognise it is no longer realistic to expect them to extend their commitment beyond Bishop Eaton.

At the same time, Fr Matthew Nunes, who has served as Parish Priest at St John Vianney, Halewood, for the past eight years, will be moving on to take up new responsibilities within the Archdiocese. 

Fr Peter McGrail, who teaches theology at Liverpool Hope University, will be appointed Parish Priest for both St Mary’s and St John Vianney. He looks forward to working with both parish communities as they begin to reflect and discern together how best to move forward—faithfully, collaboratively, and fruitfully—in this new, very different chapter.

Please keep everyone involved in your prayers as we navigate this period of change with hope and trust in the Holy Spirit.

Fr Ron Johnson

Liverpool South Dean