A congregation of over 70 witnessed the installation of Fr Thomas by Bishop Anne. Bishop Paul celebrated mass after. It was a joyous occasion enjoyed by our congregation and others. Welcomes were given by priests including Fr John Luff - our previous incumbent - and by Sparkbrook people including Councillor Shabrana Hussain.
We are very pleased to welcome Fr Thomas Singh as our parish priest, after an interregnum of over three years. Fr. Thomas writes...
I was born in North India (Punjab) in a Vicarage House, where I grew up in a very rural village and attended a local school 'til the age of 11 years. In my prime days there, I kept chickens, occasionally went fishing with my friends and had a dog called Mothi. I migrated to the UK in the year 1974 along with my family and went to a CofE school in Oxford. Here I achieved: Certificate in Oral English, CSE's and 'O'-levels.
On leaving school i completed several short courses, such as Photography, Videography, Lifeguard certification in swimming and City and Guilds certification in brick-laying, Music was always an integral part of my growing up - I was part of an Indi-pop band known as Eastern Promise and performed at several charity events as well as recording an albun on a cassette.
Gospel music is very close to my heart. As a writer composer and musician, I have recorded some of my music on a CD titled : Gospel Bollywood - Journey of a Saviour Jesus Christ. This was part of my 3 months sabbatical, time well spent in Mumbai India and as a result came way with somethinh doctrinal, theological, spiritual and of course, physical.
For about twelve years I worked as a self-employed driving instructor and found this to be a fulfiling and worth-while life experience.
I have achieved a BTh at Westminster College, Oxford and ODMTG at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.
I was appointed deacon in the year 2000 and wasptested in 2001. I served a 4-year curacy at All Saints Church, Houghton Regis.
My first incumbency took me to the suburbs of Luton where I seved as a Parish Priest for nearly two dedades Currently I work at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, as the Anglican Chaplain and thoroughly enjoy my new post.
I am very excited about the prospects in the life of the Parish.
I am married to Sandhya and have four daughters, Hannah our oldest, is married to aman, and Gabrielle, Danielle and Annabelle.
In the third week attention moved to connecting the porch area to the water supply.
Contractors - Messengers, who are expert in working in hiistoric buildings - started on our improvement works just after Easter. One of the porches is being converted into a kitchenette and accessible wc. Within the first two weeks progress has been rapid and one wall carefully removed.
Materials stacked ready for modern building standards of insulation
By mid-June the kitchen is beginning to look like a kitchen, and the entrance to the accessible wc is being built.
Its July and work is almost complete. This image shows the new accessible WC before the doors were installed.
All the building was completed by the beginning of August
We were fortunate indeed to welcome as celebrant and preacher, the Rt Revd Paul Thomas at his first engagement since being consecrated Bishop at Candlemas. Members of the Saturday Orthodox congregation were there too and Archpriest Michael Gogoleff presnted us with us an icon of St Agatha - a saint of the undivided church.
As is written on the Facebook site of the new See of Oswestry:
Facebook site of the See of Oswestry
