Fr Liam says farewell to the Borough

He was presented with a glass memento, an album of photographs and numerous cards during a party at St Joseph's School. Hilary Wines, speaking on behalf of parishioners, thanked Fr Liam for all his work and suggested that, since he was being posted to his home city of Dublin where he usually spent holidays, he should now make the Borough his holiday destination.

Earlier the Roman Catholic Precious Blood Church had been full to standing room as families and others packed the building for Fr Liam's last Sunday mass. Among friends in the congregation were Anglicans from Southwark Cathedral. Ken Hayes was present on behalf of the nearby church of St George the Martyr.

During his sermon, Fr Liam stressed that the parish was not the church building but the people filled with God's love in the area.

Speaking at the Sunday lunchtime party he thanked parishioners for their friendship which a priest, not living within a family, needs.

Fr Liam came to the Borough in 1987 from a posting in Australia.

Fr Bill Harrison

New parish priest Fr Bill Harrison – who spent time at Precious Blood as a student before his ordination – is due to arrive from his current parish in Swansea later this week.