Conoce a nuestro personal

Deacon Michael was born in 1967 in North London and baptised at the Shrine of Our Lady of Willsden, Willsden. His family moved to Hammersmith where his brother was born and then in 1971, they moved to Battersea, to a house that stood in Stainforth Road, which is now the site of the Sacred Heart School. He began his schooling at St. Vincent de Paul School, Altenburg Gardens. In 1972 the school was closing and many of the pupils were transferred to the Sacred Heart Primary School, Trott Street. This was when his connection with the parish began. He celebrated his First Confession and First Holy Communion in the parish in 1974, the same year his sister was born. He then went up to the Junior School and on his final year at Junior School he along with his classmates were confirmed in the Sacred Heart Church by Bishop Charles Henderson on 17th November 1977. Deacon Michael went onto the Salesian College and completed his secondary education. He then took a year out and helped out as volunteer in the Salesian College with the Special Needs Department. He was due to go to college, but circumstances changed, and he ended up taking a job with the Archdiocese of Southwark. This was supposed to be for a year or so, but 33 years later he is still there. After his First Communion Deacon Michael was invited to join the Altar Servers group by the then parish priest, Father Albert Carette. He was enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen at The Friars, Atylesford on 12th May 1979 by Archbishop Michael Bowen. He then was asked to become the Parish Master of Ceremonies and continued in this role until he began his formation for Diaconate. In addition to his ministry as an Altar Server, Deacon Michael has served the parish as a Catechist, .and as an extra-ordinary minister of Holy Communion. He was also a member of the Parish Council. He was a member of the parish Pioneer group, and also was one of the groups that organised the parish pilgrimages to Lourdes, Rome, the Holy Land, and the Shrines of France. From 1984 until 2004, Michael was also Master of Ceremonies to Bishop Howard Tripp and accompanied Bishop Howard on his visits to the parishes in his area. In 2000 he began a journey of discernment for Ordination and in 2003 he was accepted by Archbishop Michael Bowen as a student. He completed his Studies at St John’s Seminary in Wonersh and was Ordained as a permanent Deacon in a ceremony at St. George's Cathedral, Southwark on 10th June 2006 by Archbishop Kevin McDonald. The next day, 11th June, Trinity Sunday he exercised his ministry as a Deacon in the parish for the First time at a celebration mass, celebrated by Bishop Howard Tripp, which was followed by a celebration in the Salesian College. Since Ordination Deacon Michael has exercised his ministry in Sacred Heart parish and has been involved in many areas of parish life, celebrating baptisms, marriages and the Funeral Rites of the Church for parishioners and friends. He has also been involved in the First Communion Preparation programme since 2007 and continues as part of the Confirmation Team, supporting the work of the Catechists. He has also been involved with RCIA. He co-ordinates the Marriage preparation Programme in the parish working with three lay people. He is a chaplain at Sacred Heart Primary School and visits the school and a different class each week. He also is a chaplain at St Mary’s School. He continues to play a supportive role with those engaged in ministry in the parish, encouraging the Altar Servers and those who wish to take an active part in the Liturgy. His mother is still part of the parish community and accompanies Deacon Michael to Mass each weekend. He is ever grateful to her for her love and support of his ministry. She is a wonderful example of a woman of faith and appreciates the care that the parish community show to Deacon Michael. As a member of the parish team, he supports and collaborates with the clergy team in the parish and also with the Salesian Community. Deacon Michael is a Salesian Co-operator, which is the third order of the Salesian Family founded by St John Bosco. In the Diocese he has served as Diocesan Director for the Lourdes Pilgrimage and as an Advocate on the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal. In August 2021, Archbishop John Wilson appointed Deacon Michael as Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Southwark. Deacon Michael is happiest amongst the parishioners of the parish, young and old, - these are the gifts to the community. On his Ordination Thanksgiving Mass, he said “Thank you for all your support, your prayers, and your gifts, but the greatest gift to me, is each and every one of you are what made me who I am, you have prayed with me and for me. For this I will always remain, grateful and forever, Your Deacon.