FATHER DANNY McAVOY, S.M.M.

The man who is to become our Parish Priest in September of this year is Fr Danny McAvoy, who is a member of the Montfort Missionaries.  Although this will be Fr Danny’s first experience of ministering full time in a parish community, he has regularly helped parishes out at weekends, mainly in Southampton.   At first he was a prison chaplain, although as he always worked in a different prison to Canon Peter Wilkie they’ve never met, so that’s one pleasure he’s looking forward to.  For the past twelve years he has been attached to St Joseph's Pastoral Centre at Ashurst, initially running a 25-bed centre for refugees from countries such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.  After the work in the refuge was completed he went to work for three days a week as Chaplain to Alabaré Christian Care and Support, a wonderful charity founded by five Catholic families in Salisbury which now boasts 47 projects which take care of the most vulnerable in our society.   He is a qualified psychotherapist, specialising in trauma work with survivors of abuse and emotional deprivation.  He hopes to continue with this work in a way which supports his commitment to the Parish.

Fr Danny was born in Scotland, and although his and Fr Jamie’s careers have followed different courses, they have been friends since their days at school together in Paisley.   He will be coming to us in September, together with Mollie and Margaret Mary, of course.    (Margaret Mary’s the grumpy one.)  We shall all be looking forward very much to their joining us.   When Fr Danny was asked how he felt about taking on this new role as a Parish Priest he replied that working in a Parish setting will bring for him a real difference both in mission and in ministry.   Is he looking forward to it? “Oh, yes, very much so.”   

No, no, they’re his cats, silly!