Grove Park Church Welcomes New Vicar |
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Bishop joins congregation at Induction ceremony for Rev Caroline Halmshaw Rev Caroline Halmshaw (fourth from the right in front row ) with the Bishop of Kensington and other clergy
July 29, 2023 The Institution and Induction of the new vicar for St Paul's Church, Grove Park, the Reverend Caroline Halmshaw, was held last week (Monday, 24 July) at a well-attended ceremony. The Bishop of Kensington, the Right Reverend Dr Emma Ineson presided, assisted by the Archdeacon of Middlesex, the Venerable Richard Frank.
The Rev'd Simon Brandes, Patron, Vicar of St Nicholas’s Church, Chiswick also attended as did the Area Dean, Rev'd Martine Oborne, Vicar of St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road.
Also present was the MP for Brentford and Isleworth, Ruth Cadbury. Charanjit Arit Singh, Chair of Hounslow Friends of Faith and Father Michael Dunne of Our Lady of Grace & St Edwards, attended, along with Bessie Woods, represending the local Quaker community. Councillor Gabriella Giles, Riverside Ward, London Borough of Hounslow was also present, as well as Councillor Gerald McGregor, and former councillors Paul Lynch (former Mayor of Hounslow), and Sam Hearn. Local resident Jeremy Day represented Chiswick businesses. The choir of St Paul's Grove Park was assisted by choir members from St Nicholas and St Michael's Elmwood Road under the direction of St Paul's organist Tom Torley. There was a personal touch added to the occasion when soloist Miranda Johnson, a friend of the Rev'd Halmshaw and her husband, sang the hymn 'As The Deer Pants for the Water".
The Rev'd Halmshaw is a former Associate Vicar at St Mary with St Alban in Teddington and was part-time Director of Post-Ordination Training for the Kensington Area of the London Diocese. This is a role that supports newly ordained curates as they start parish life. She was ordained in 2018 and trained to be a priest at St Mellitus College. Before training for ordained ministry, her earlier career was in nursing and midwifery and, after further study, she worked in International Development in the charity sector. Her focus was on health programmes, especially maternal health and reproductive rights (SRHR).
The Rev'd Halmshaw is married to Rick and they have a 15-year-old son called Alec. They both grew up in Radlett in Hertfordshire and have lived mainly in London and Brighton. It was in Radlett, back in her teenage years that she started going to church. Her mother, Stella was ordained in 1987. Her predecessor, Reverend Michael Riley, was vicar at St. Paul’s for over 33 year before retiring last July. The family will move into the vicarage over the summer and her first Sunday Eucharist service is scheduled for 3 September at 10am. Further details and photographs can be seen on the St Paul's website. Anne Flaherty
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