Tower and Town, March 1980

FATHERS SEAN FLEURY and TOM KELLY, MSFS

The new priests at St Thomas More's have known each other since Fr. Tom was a student; they worked together in their previous parish at Hampton Hill, Middlesex until Fr. Sean was elected Provincial of their Order, the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales, a post he holds for 3 years. He coordinates the work of some 30 priests in 14 houses in England and America, and founded one of the American houses, at Atlanta, Ga. Fr. Sean was ordained in 1957. He studied at Oscott College, took a post-graduate course in Pastoral Theology, and his first job was as a curate at Devizes. He then worked at the Order's Mission arid Retreat Centre in Manchester for 9 years, the last 5 as its director.

Tom Kelly was ordained in 1974, having studied at St Edmund's, Ware, and is now doing a post-graduate course in Religious Education. Before working in Middlesex he was at Yeovil for four years. Tom comes originally from Wolverhampton, while Sean Fleury is from an Irish farming background. Tom's accomplishments include mastery of the deaf sign language in which he can celebrate Mass; he plays badminton and squash, while Sean manages geriatric golf.

They have already been making friends, and are warmly welcome in Marlborough.

Simon Brett