Michael was born in
Fleetwood, Lancashire, on the 5th. of May, 1952. After
attending St. Wulstan’s Catholic primary school, he went to the former
junior seminary at St. Michael’s College, Underley Hall in the county of Westmorland.
Aged 18, Michael was sent
to the Venerable English College in Rome where he spent nearly four and a
half very happy years. Realising that he needed more time to consider his
calling, Michael took two years out before returning to seminary life at
Ushaw College, Durham. He was ordained on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen,
22nd. July, 1978, in his home parish of St. Wulstan, Fleetwood.
Michael was assistant
priest in SS. Mary & Michael, Garstang, for three years and then for five
years in St. Mary’s, Barrow-in-Furness. After nearly five years as Catholic
chaplain to the University of Lancaster, Michael became a student himself
for three years, graduating with a degree in Law from Leicester University
in 1994. On his return to priestly ministry in that year, Michael served
the parish of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Preston for three years as
assistant priest and chaplain to Cardinal Newman College and then as parish
priest for twelve years.
Michael moved to Carlisle
on 1st. May, 2009, and is delighted to be here in Our Lady & St.
Joseph and in this lovely and ancient City of Carlisle.
X
Photo to follow
Father Grzegorz Kozienski,
Assistant Priest and Chaplain
to the Polish Community in Cumbria
Father Greg belongs to
the Society of Christ (the religious order founded
by Cardinal August Hlond to serve Polish migrants around
the world) and has been a priest for eleven years.
During this time he has served in parishes in
Poland, Brazil, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
(More details to follow)
X
Reverend John
Constable,
Deacon
John was born in
Athlestane Ford Mains in East Lothian on a farm where he
spent his childhood. His family moved to Penicuik where
he went to school. After school he went back to the
countrylife and worked on a farm for a few years until
he joined the Army, serving four years in the First and
Second Battalions of the Scots Guards. In the meantime
his family moved to Carlisle and after John left the
Army he, too, joined them in Cumbria
In Carlisle he met Mary
and they were married in Christ the King Church in 1965.
They were blessed with four children, all girls, Diane
and Lorraine (twins), Jeannette and Lorna, and are now
the proud grandparents of five girls and five boys.
John worked for nearly
thirty years with the John Lewis Partnership, based at
Stead McAlpine at Cummersdale, starting out as a fork
lift truck driver and ending as a shift manager.
John, who was baptised
in the Church of Scotland, became a Catholic in 1974,
and in some form or other has always been active in
parish life - helping with the Youth Club, serving at
the altar, being a Minister of the Eucharist - just in
time for Pope John Paul's visit to Manchester in 1982.
After much deliberation John started training for the
Permanent Diaconate in 2002 and was ordained Deacon in
our church on July 6 2005.
X
Reverend Gib Harrison, Deacon
Gib Harrison was born in Carlisle in
1947. He is married to Margaret, and they have two daughters, Emma and
Rebecca and two grandsons. Much of his adult life was spent in the Army.
He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1971, and he left the Army in
1984. Fifteen years later he was ordained Deacon at Our Lady & St
Joseph's, exercising his ministry at first at Our Lady and St Wilfrid's,
Warwick Bridge, but moving back to his home parish four years ago he is
now one of our parish Deacons. Gib is still in employment, so his
ministry is limited to weekends and evenings. He was a musician in the
Army and still uses his musical talents.
