Hundreds attend services to pay tribute to a much loved man

Hundreds of parishioners and fellow clergymen turned out to pay their last respects to Fr Edward Houghton this week.

Our Lady of Grace was packed to the rafter as Fr Ed's body was received into the church on Wednesday 2nd September. Mass was then celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

His funeral followed on Thursday 3rd September at midday when the mass was attended by more than 90 members of the priesthood.

His brother, Fr Peter Houghton gave the homily and spoke eloquently and movingly about his sibling who found a great deal of his inspiration from a French philosopher Simone Weil.

Fr Ed was laid to rest in his home town of Preston.

Born in 1968, Edward Houghton was the youngest of six children.

He was ordained a Priest on 31st May 2008.

His first, and sadly his only, appointment as a priest was to the Parish of Our Lady of Grace and St Edward.

September 5, 2009