Music, wine and theology (From Ledbury Reporter)

Music, wine and theology

8:23am Friday 21st September 2012 in News

LEDBURY'S new Roman Catholic priest, Father Adrian Wiltshire, aged 62, had a late calling the priesthoood, only finally donning the dog collar some five-and-a-half years ago.

Before then, despite first being drawn to the priesthood as a music student in London in the late 1960s, he had a career as a music teacher, and also a 10 year spell as a manager with a wine company.

Father Wiltshire said: “So my qualifications are in music, wine and theology.”

His predecessor, Father Richard Simons, is now the parish priest of Abergavenny, in Wales.

Meanwhile Father Wiltshire has crossed the border the other way, having previously served as parish priest of Cwm Bran for twoand- a-half years.

Father Wiltshire is looking forward to a longer stay in Ledbury and will certainly be busy here.

According the recent figures, up to 190 people regularly attend mass in Ledbury, and approximately the same number in Ross.

Father Wiltshire only moved into his New Street flat, which is attached to the Church of Most Holy Trinity, this month, and a group of onlookers watched as his beloved piano was carried in. But news travels fast in town, and he has already been greeted on a number of occasions in the High Street.

Father Wiltshire said: “Ledbury is a small market town, even smaller than Cirencester, so you are easily seen as a new face.”

A former chairman of the Cirencester Council of Churches, one of his aims is to work with all the local churches and maintain strong community bonds.