Father Kevin Jordan was born in this parish in the hospital of St John and St Elizabeth. His family lived in Alexandra Road until he was two before moving to Kenton where he attended Salvatorian College and St Dominic’s Sixth Form College before going to the University of London and qualifying as a vet from the Royal Veterinary College in 1991. After working in Suffolk and Essex he entered Allen Hall (getting to know Canon McGowan, Canon Davis, Fr Mark Anwyll and Fr Allen Morris who taught him) and was ordained a priest in 1999. Since then he has had the immense privilege of witnessing the many ways in which God has worked in the lives of His people among the parishioners of the Cathedral, Enfield, North Harrow and Willesden Green; with staff and pupils in both day and boarding schools; among patients and carers in hospitals and hospices from the beginning of life to its natural end; alongside soldiers and their families; through the lives and stories of those who struggle with addiction. Inspired by these extraordinary people he hopes he can worthily carry their message of faith to you just as his predecessors here have done. Archbishop Terrence Cooke of New York once said, “A priest is called to be a brother who shares the worries and fears and the frailty of the people around him and who brings to them not any great strength and invulnerability of his own, but his joyful trust in the Father who loves him and in Jesus whose priesthood he shares.” He says that if he can spend his time here doing that, he shall be very happy indeed.
Father Ben Woodley, was born in 1973 in London and for many years sung as a treble at St John’s, Hampstead. From the age of eleven he was educated at the Purcell School, a specialist music school, and then at the Royal College of Music and London University. Underpinning his musical studies was the notion, the intuition that this great language, music, had its true source in Another, in the loving and saving Author of all: Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament.
This deep truth eventually led him to be received into the Catholic Church from Anglicanism. In 2011 he started seminary formation for the Priesthood and was sent to the Venerable English College, Rome. The formation in Rome is normally seven years, his' lasted eight; year six (for nine months) was spent as a postulant at the Trappist Cistercian Monastery in Leicestershire, Mount Saint Bernard Abbey. This experience confirmed that his vocation to serve the Lord was utterly rooted, yes, in prayer but also to be lived out in the world, at the service of God’s people.
This deep truth eventually led him to be received into the Catholic Church from Anglicanism. In 2011 he started seminary formation for the Priesthood and was sent to the Venerable English College, Rome. The formation in Rome is normally seven years, his' lasted eight; year six (for nine months) was spent as a postulant at the Trappist Cistercian Monastery in Leicestershire, Mount Saint Bernard Abbey. This experience confirmed that his vocation to serve the Lord was utterly rooted, yes, in prayer but also to be lived out in the world, at the service of God’s people.
Sister Brigid Collins, our Parish Sister, has been associated with the parish for a good number of years now, in fact since she was 16 when she entered the convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Harewood Avenue. Sister Brigid looks after a great range of activities including the Union of Catholic Mothers, Parents and Toddlers' groups, the Youth Mercy Associates (our youth groups)..... the list could go on!
Margaret Wickware, our Catechetical Coordinator has a Masters in Religious Education and Catechesis, completed certificates in RCIA and Ministry and Evangelisation for the familythrough the Maryvale Institute. (Masters thesis was on the sacrament of baptism as an opportunity to evangelise new parents.) In addition to contributing to twenty booklets of meditation for small faith-sharing communities in the Diocese of Westminster and beyond, she has offered baptismal preparation and assisted with RCIA at her previous parish in Wimbledon. Most recently, she organised adult faith formation at St. Thomas More, Swiss Cottage (using the Ascension Press programme -Come Follow Me, Encounter Christ in the Gospel of St. John) and the Discovering Christ programme at St. Luke’s, Pinner. Besides her work as a study tutor at Allen Hall (now in her fourth year), she is President of the Guild of Our Lady & St. Joseph with responsibility for organising its programmes and publications for almost four years. She works closely with our Parish Priest in catechetical formation of both adults and children and hopes to explore further opportunities for adult formation. Please contact Margaret under margaretwickware@rcdow.org.uk
Martin Toyer was appointed Director of Music at the Church of Our Lady in Advent 2014, however, he has been singing and playing at our church since Christmas 1996. As a child, Martin was a chorister in Luton; his first appointment as Director of Music was when he was sixteen years old and he has been directing choirs ever since. Whilst studying at Oxford University, Martin was Organ Scholar and director of the chapel choir at Brasenose College. During his time at university, he performed as soloist, director and ensemble member for many groups around the city. Whilst the liturgy of Our Lady gives Martin plenty of opportunities to indulge in his passions for Bach's organ music, plainchant, and Renaissance polyphony, he also directs Ensemble 42, a small group of musicians who perform solo and ensemble works, exploring all genres of music from plainchant to lieder, from Baroque to modern opera. Martin is also busy as a singer, conductor, and accompanist in London.
Anita Saldanha is our Parish Safeguarding Officer. Anita has been a parishioner for the last 15 years. Outside of her full time occupation, and in addition to her volunteer role as Safeguarding Officer she also volunteers with the Brixton Prison Chaplaincy and is applying to be a phone Counsellor for Childline (part of the NSPCC). If you have any questions regarding Safeguarding contact Anita at stjohnswoodsg@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
Roger Rutuerma is one of our most important team members as he keeps the parish hall, offices and presbytery tidy for visitors and the staff. He has been with the parish for over twenty years now and knows the grounds and facilities very well. He is around the parish on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and we are all very blessed to have Roger amongst us. Roger is also very good company for Woolsey, the resident Jack Russel of the parish, who always looks forward to a morning visit from Roger.
Csaba Tarnai helps maintain the Parish website. He holds an M.Sc. in computer science and is a certified photographer. He has been with our parish since 2015 when he and his family of five (Chiara, Claudia, Carlo, Caterina) transferred from Pisa to London. In his spare time he enjoys running, swimming, cycling and fitness.