Sitting down with Fr Paul to know more about him and his parish

This month, we chatted with Fr Paul Chipchase to find out about him, and what is happening in his parish of Sacred Heart & St Gregory's Roman Catholic Parish.

Good morning, Fr Paul, could you tell us a little about what has been happening in your parish recently?

The major event during the last year was the amalgamation of our Parish of Sacred Heart, Loughborough with St George’s, Sileby, with the co-operation of all the communities within our new Parish boundaries, things have gone well.

Oh, that is great news! What have been the biggest joys for you lately?

For me, First Holy Communion is always a joy; not just the celebration on the day but the preparation beforehand when the natural enthusiasm of the children meets the riches of our faith, it is life affirming.

Another joy has been the steady increase in numbers of parishioners who have a South Indian heritage. We recently celebrated a very successful ‘curry night’ by way of saying welcome and affirming their cuisine.

On the other hand, what have been the greatest challenges and how have you addressed them?

The shortage of priests has meant a multiplication of responsibilities among those of us who are still active in ministry. This has meant that determining priorities and good time management skills are now essential requirements of a parish priests.

As Episcopal Vicar for Finance and Administration, I have the privilege of working with the staff in the Diocesan Curia. I continue to be impressed by their professionalism and commitment to supporting the mission of the Church in a rapidly changing world.

‍Thinking about the future, what are your hopes?

My personal hope is to be able to enjoy a few years in good health to be able to make a good use of my retirement, when it comes.

My hope for the Church is that God will give us vocations -clergy and lay- enough to meet the needs of his people.

How do you most enjoy living out your priestly ministry in parish life?

Contact with people and involvement in the joys and sorrows of their lives has always been the highlight of ministry for me. Sadly, the pressure of work in other roles means that parish visiting often has to make way for diary commitments.

What words of encouragement would you give to another parish?  

The church has been around for two thousand years and has weathered storms far worse than anything we have today. Try to take the long view!