Last July, when I presented the Financial Statement for the year ending 31st December 2006. I promised to let you know about plans to repair and improve St. Peter’s Church. I intend to do this in a few weeks time.

I now want to consult you about the Curates’ House.

Our parish us now in the unfortunate situation of having only one curate. He is now living in a house which was built on the understanding that there would be three curates in the parish who would share their domestic arrangements. Even though the house was build only twelve years ago it was not foreseen at the time that vocations to the diocesan priesthood would drop so rapidly. This means that there is considerable spare capacity which, in ite present format, is unlikely to be used. The Parish Finance Council has considered this matter and agreed that the extra space should be put to better potential use by dividing the house into two. The architect has suggested that the most cost effective way to do this would be by making the upper and lower levels separate self contained units. The Finance Council has recommended that this proposed change should be accepted.

This arrangement would give a priest the normal privacy of his own space and at the same time utilise the remaining area for someone like a retired priest or pastoral assistant.

I realise this proposal may come as a surprise coming so soon after the house was built but, given the fact that the house is too big for one curate, I hope you will agree that this alteration would result in a more practical potential use for the building.

I would welcome any comments or alternative suggestions which anyone may wish to make.

Yours sincerely,
RT. Rev. Mgr Aidan Hamill, P.P.V.G