New priest has the whole congregation in his hands

l PLEASED to meet you . . . Canon Peter McEvitt (centre) gets a welcome handshake from Oldham Mayor, Councillor David Jones. With them were (from the left) the Rev David Penny; St Paul’s church warden Tony Hawkins; The Venerable Cherry Vann, archdeacon of Rochdale; Fred Hollingworth, Holy Trinity church warden; The Right Rev Martyn Jarrett, provincial visitor to the Northern Province; St Paul’s church warden Colin Ogden; the Mayoress, Jean Jones; John Hall, chairman of Shaw Parish Council.

THE congregations of two local churches gathered to welcome their new priest in a ceremony led by the Bishop of Beverley.

Church and civic dignitaries were among a gathering 400 turned out to see Canon Peter McEvitt inducted as priest-in-charge of St Paul’s, Royton, and Holy Trinity, Shaw. They included the Mayor and Mayoress of Oldham, Councillor David Jones and wife Jean.

The service ended with a party at St Paul’s Parish Centre where Canon McEvitt got the chance to meet parishioners.