Fr Peter Andrews
Peter Andrews was ordained priest on 10th July 2010.
It’s a bald statement as befits the man; but in it is a world of meaning, as also befits the man.
Peter was well named; a rock, a foundation upon which to build. At a recent social gathering of parish folk, we all agreed that it seemed as if Peter had always been there, a foundation stone of our parish community. And, indeed, Peter and his glorious wife, Maureen, played prominent roles in the parish from the moment they arrived back in the eighties. Maureen’s untimely death in 2003 simply thrust Peter ever more deeply into the heart of the parish and led him, naturally, towards his present, sacred vocation.
But we all know this about Peter and much has been said and written about him. The re-printed cartoon attached to this article marked his ordination as Deacon in September 2001….(was it really that long ago) and illustrates what a luminous figure he has been for so many of us for so many years.
This short piece, therefore, is to mark a further step in Peter’s extraordinary life. Peter remains typically modest about the whole affair, but let us make no mistake, his ordination to the priesthood is of huge significance and affects us all, deeply.
In the first place, the ordination, held at St Joseph’s Epsom in order to accommodate the huge number who wanted to be present, was the most uplifting liturgy many of us can remember. At a time when the church was being battered daily by the shame of the abuse scandal, Peter’s ordination rekindled faith, raised spirits, unified souls and made us all proud to be Catholic and to have a sacred priesthood at the centre of our pastoral community.
Nothing went wrong; the service was flawless and utterly moving. The music was absolutely glorious, much of it specially composed by Mike Carver, erstwhile teacher at St Andrews and close friend to Peter and Maureen. The St Michael’s choir, newly formed by Michelle MacDonald, had practiced hard since January specifically for Peter’s ordination and sounded strong, confident and professional and, well, just wonderful to listen to. Stuart, Peter’s son, played the drums brilliantly and the spontaneous applause and Peter’s trademark grin from the altar said all that needed to be said about the occasion. It was no surprise to find that the celebrations continued into the early evening despite many having been at the church since before 9.00am. And the Lord smiled on Peter and blessed the day by granting blue sky and warm sun.
The following day, the celebrations continued back at St Michael’s for Peter’s first mass. Another perfect day and a time for the parish to show its particular and personal appreciation for the years of friendship and service that Peter has given to us all and to many more besides. Speeches were made and cakes cut and applause and laughter filled the church and hall and Peter was celebrated for being Peter and then for being Father Peter.
And now, we need to steel ourselves to parish life without the presence of Peter. That’s not easy to contemplate; Peter seems almost a part of the furniture. And, of course, Peter is a part of St Michael’s and always will be. Horsham parish now have the good fortune to see his cheery face each day and may they truly appreciate him; this big man with a big heart.
So let us bask in the glorious fact that we know and love and have been known and loved by Peter and will continue to do and be so. And let us recognise perhaps the greatest significance of Peter and his ordination, the example we all now have of a normal chap, a man living life to the full, a man giving himself wholly to the service of others, an experienced, rounded, intelligent, funny and balanced man who truly lives his vocation of friend, husband, father and….well, Father.
Thank you Peter.
