The parish of St Agatha, Sparkbrook and St Barnabas, Balsall Heath is a Forward in Faith parish. To find out more click here

The Congregation and Worship

An "all-age" worshipping community drawn from the parish, the Diocese and beyond. This reflects a wide social spectrum. St Agatha's is nationally famous for it's long and venerable Anglo-Catholic tradition; that section of Anglicanism which draws on its Catholic roots and looks for its identity in Catholic faith and worship. The parish in general (and St Agatha's in particular) continues to witness to this orthodox faith in Birmingham Diocese and nationally.

Consequently, it has been under the pastoral care of The Bishop of Ebbsfleet (see www.ebbsfleet.org.uk) and a member of Forward-in-Faith -- the international pressure group to maintain orthodox faith within Anglicanism -- since 1993. Fr John is Clerical Chair of F-in-F Birmingham Diocese and also a member of The Bishop of Ebbsfleets Council.

Canon Father John Hervé

Fr John, Parish Priest of St Agatha with St Barnabas since 1990, was brought up in Selly Oak. He remembers coming to St Alban's Patronal Festivals in Fr Harding's time. A postgraduate of Birmingham (Pastoral Studies) and Wolverhampton (Education) Universities, he was ordained in 1973 in York. His Title Parish was All Saints, Middlesborough, an established Catholic "shrine" with a varied parish (city centre, docks, church schools and hospitals). Not to mention a certain football club!

Retuming to his "home" Diocese, he was Parish Priest of St Andrew's, Handsworth (1981 - 1986). This was amulti-faith, multi-race and multi-cultural parish which was quite volatile (riots in '81 and '85). In 1986 Fr John began a five year contract as a Tutor (Pastoral Studies) at St Stephen's House, Oxford - often regarded as the premier Anglo-Catholic Seminary, with students from the Anglican Communion throughout the world, plus exchange students from the Gregorian University and English College in Rome, and the Orthodox Church. Responsibilities there included Pastoral Training Programmes for ordinands and laity, tutoring on pastoral modules for University courses and the supervision of postgraduate students in Pastoral Studies.

Then it was back to Parochial Ministry (which he prefers!). The last 17 years at St Agatha's has been an exciting time for him - in the Parish and also the Church at large. "Milestones" include the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood (and its aftermath), the granting of £700,000 by English Heritage for repairs to St Agatha's (a Grade 1 listed building) and the year of events for the Centenary of St Agatha's in 2003. This included the Centenary Mass celebrated by The Archbishop of York. In 2005 the completion of the restoration was marked by a special service attended by TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex.

He was also appointed Priest-in-Charge of St Alban's Highgate which inaugurated the Mission Partnership between the two parishes in February 2005. He was appointed Honorary Canon of Birmingham Cathedral in April 2005.

After two years leave of absence Fr John returned to the parish at Eastertide 2008.

His interests include Wales (he has a cottage near Lake Bala) and he is also an avid collector of the novels of the inter-war writer Dornford Yates.

Father Eric Foskett (died 2nd August 2007)

Father Eric was born in the parish of Christ Church, Yardley Wood, in 1929, and lived at Aston Fire Station until 1933, then in Hall Green. The family worshipped at Christ Church, as had his mother's parents and grandparents.

Lay Reader at Christ Church, Yardley Wood 1959 - 1978;
The Queen's College, Birmingham (Part time) 1975 - 1978;
Non-Stipendiary Minister at Holy Cross, Billesley, 1978 - 1982;
1982 to 1995 Vicar of St Bartholomew Allens Cross. Fr Eric was chaplain of Hollymoor Hospital from 1990 to its closure in 1994.
1995 to 2007 - Retirement Ministry as an assisting priest at St Agatha Sparkbrook. He last celebrated the mass on 22nd July 2007, less than two weeks before his death.