We are indebted to Margaret Standen, of the parish of Holy Innocents, for the research necessary to publish this article.
Orphanage Chaplains | |
|---|---|
| Rev Martin. | 1893-94 |
| Rev William Linnett. | 1894-1912 |
| Rev Cornelius LeWarne (died 1956). | 1912-13 |
| Rev William Fichter (died 1960). | Easter-Nov 1913 |
| Rev Michael Howard (on loan from Cloyne parish). | 1913-14 |
| Rev Hugh Kelly. | 1914-15 |
| Rev Edmund Miller. | 1915-16 |
| Rev William Cunningham. | 1916-24 |
| Rev Albert Wood (died 1952). | 1925-29 |
|
Chaplains then became 'Rectors' There was a great deal of building in Orpington from 1930 onwards - e.g. Goddington, Charterhouse and Repton Roads. |
|
| Rev Patrick Byrne (died 1969). | 1929-34 |
| Rev William M Pritchard (sick leave; died 1955). | 1934-37 |
| Rev Lawrence Bovington (from Woolwich). Then appointed to Sydenham. Died 1966. | 1937-41 |
| Rev J Slocombe (from Northfleet). Died Oct 1955. | 1941-55 |
| Rev Michael Phelan (became Holy Innocents' first Parish Priest; died September 1985). | 1955-84 |
| Canon John McNamara (retired). | 1984-91 |
| Canon John Watts (from Wonersh Seminary). | 1991- 2008 |
| Fr Victor Vella | 2008- |
| Curates: | |
| Rev Peter Coleman. | 1933-36 |
| Rev Hugh Scullin. | Feb-Nov 1936 |
| Rev Walter Sullivan (appointed to Woolwich). | 1936-37 |
| Rev Louis Fitzmaurice (from Northfleet). Died in June 1951 whilst on loan from the Diocese of Elphin, Scotland. | 1937-41 |
| From 1940 to 1948 a number of Assistant Priests were appointed (as detailed below). Also, for many years during the 1950s, Fr (now Canon) Calver, who taught Geography at a Catholic school in Purley, cycled every Friday to spend the weekend at Holy Innocents church, hearing confessions and otherwise helping the clergy team in Orpington. | |
| Rev P Shine (returned to Ireland). | 1940-41 |
| Rev McLaughlin (appointed to Upper Norwood). | 1941-43 |
| Rev Hubert Simes (newly ordained; appointed as second assistant). Went to Chislehurst when Petts Wood was given over to that parish. Died 1995. | 1941-42 |
| Rev T Shankey (on loan from Diocese of Elphin, Scotland). To Balham as Assistant Priest. | 1943-46 |
| Rev J Boland (on loan from the Diocese of Killala). Went to Mottingham as assistant priest. | 1946-48 |
| Rev John Moore (went to Downham as assistant priest). Died 1970. | 1948-49 |
| Rev John Lennon (from Earlsfield; now retired). Canon Lennon (as he now is) is Holy Innocents' longest-serving curate. | 1949-65 |
| Rev Ernest Becher (went to St Mary's, Blackheath). Now retired. | 1958-65 |
| Rev Maurice O'Keefe (on loan from Beauvais Diocese, France). Died Sept 1969. | 1964-Sept 1969 |
| Rev Eric Mead (went to Rotherhithe, SE16; then to St Joseph's, Bromley). Returned to help Fr Phelan (who was unwell) through the building of the new Church. February 1984: went as Parish Priest to Northfleet. Now at St Anne's Cliftonville. | 1965-73; 1979-84 |
| Rev Peter Lessiter (went to Chatham, Kent as assistant priest). | 1965-70 |
| Rev Ronan Magner (died 2001). | 1970-73 |
| Rev Daniel Crawley (believed to have gone back to Co. Cork, Ireland). | 1970-71 |
| Rev Anthony Pyle (from Purley). 1980-84: Missionary Society of St James the Apostle, South America. 1984: Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen. Retired 1997. Now living in the Canaries. | 1973-79 |
| Rev Sean Osborne. | 1974-79 |
| Rev Barry Angus. Then successively Parish Priest of: Minster; Holy Family, Sutton Green, Surrey; St Chad's, Norwood South; and St Catherine of Siena, Chessington). | 1979-84 |
| Rev Ernest Bonvini (from Wallington). Appointed to St Simon of England Waldeslade; appointed Parish Priest, St Boniface, Tooting, from 1993. | 1984-86 |
| Rev Sam Abela (from Stockwell). Appointed Parish Priest The Good Shepherd, Downham; appointed Parish Priest, Bexleyheath; RIP Sept 2000. | 1984-87 |
| Rev Robin Maxted (1992 Parish Priest, Dartford). | 1987-91 |
| Rev John Hennessy (then appointed Parish Priest Rosary Church, Hayes); then retired. RIP December 2005. | 1991-97 |
| Rev David O'Connell (currently Chaplain to Goldsmith and South Bank Universities). | 1992-96 |
| Rev Peter Jenner (then appointed Parish Priest, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph, Battersea Park; now Parish Priest of St Catherine of Sienna, Chessington). | 1996-2001 |
| Rev Michael Ryan (then appointed Chaplain, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill; now at The Sacred Heart, Sittingbourne). | 1997-99 |
| Rev Stephen Wymer (then appointed assistant priest at St Teresa's, Ashford; now Parish Priest of St Simon Stock, WAlderslade). | 2000-01 |
| Rev David Hutton (Priest in Residence. Appointed Parish Priest Rosary Church, Hayes, 2003). | April-Dec 2002 |
| Rev Alex Saba (newly ordained). Born in Ghana but raised in Togo. Then appointed to St Anselm's, Tooting Bec; now at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales, Hartley. | 2002-05 |
| Fr Joe O'Connor (Priest in Residence. From Ecuador. Appointed to Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Addiscombe). | Jan-Mar 2003 |
| Fr Ian Lee. Newly ordained. | Feb 2005 - |
| Fr Biju John | 2008- |