Through His Windows

I feel that I cannot begin this year's fenestral observations without thanking your former correspondent, Mgr Gavin, for his hawk-eyed vigilance over the past eleven years. He is making things hum now at his parish of St Thomas More in Coventry, where he had the church consecrated by the Archbishop on June 15th. Fr Conry and the Matron represented the College on the occasion.

Dom. Byron Costa-Fernandes Mgr Canon Francis Thomas O.S.B.

One of the high-lights of the clerical section surely must be the ordination of our first coloured Old Boy. The Headmaster and Fr Pargeter went down to Worth Abbey on June 27th for the ordination by Bishop Murphy-O'Connor of Byron Costa-Fernandes OSB BA. Byron left here in 1970 and, having studied Physics at Imperial College, went to Worth to teach Mathematics in the school and live in the lay community. After a year he joined the monastery, gained a BA in Philosophy and Theology last year and is now completing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Pastoral Theology. Byron was delighted that his old school was represented on this happy occasion. Alan D'Souza, OC 1972, was there too.

Mgr H F Davis, President of St Wilfrid's & Parkers' in 1972, has been made a Protonotary Apostolic; Mgr Frank Thomas, at present Rector of Oscott, has been appointed Parish Priest of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Chapter Canon, and Vicar-General for the Stoke West, Stoke East and Uttoxeter Deaneries; Frs Denis Toplass, Parish Priest of Sacred Heart, Henley-on-Thames, and Peter Taylor, Parish Priest of the Mount, Walsall, have been appointed Honorary Canons. Dr Christopher Budd, who opened the batting for the First XI so effectively with 'Agger' Barker in the 1950's, has been appointed Rector of St

John's Seminary, Wonersh, Guildford. Congratulations to all these illustrious Old Boys.

Father David Evans, ordained last July, came to say Mass for us last September. Fr Michael Cottrell, also ordained last year, visited us in an orange Volkswagen with one red door. Our photograph shows Michael after the ordination with Bishop McCartie and Fr Denis McEvilly, Parish Priest of St Nicholas, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield. It represents three generations of Cottonians.

News from the Forces' chaplains: Fr Chris Bester RN is on terra firma for two years at the Fleet Air Arm station, H M S 'Daedalus' in Lee-on-Solent. Fr Tony Jones, Army chaplain, is enjoying life at Krefeld beside the Rhine where he went last autumn. His invitation to Association Day reached him via Bagshot and Cyprus. Fr David Mead is just across the river from Tony at Dusseldorf.

Canon Denis Toplass Canon Peter Taylor

Fr Ivor Kind wrote from Timperley, Cheshire, to say how he sympathised with the new Headmaster and all of us during the cruel winter. Ivor was very sorry to hear of the deaths of Fr `Amy' Johnson and Fr 'Chot' Murphy.

We are delighted to hear that Sean O'Brien has entered the Jesuit house at Harborne and that Harry Curtis, at present at University, has been accepted for training for the priesthood for the diocese.

Fr Peter Cooney, Parish Priest of St George and St Martin's Church, Birches Head, welcomed Bishop Cleary last October for a concelebrated Mass to mark the Golden Jubilee of the church. Fr Peter didn't see much of the snow last winter as he was ill. Happily he is fit again and on 2nd July celebrated the 40th year of his ordination. Fr Edward Stewart, a regular and welcome visitor, was in the news sometime ago as his presbytery at Solihull is being demolished to make way for an extension to the church. He is `camping out' in a large, lofty Victorian schoolroom until his new presbytery is built and said that he felt like Steptoe in a baronial hall. Our photograph shows him, complete with tin hat, surveying the scene from the battered roof of his old presbytery.

Three generations of Cottonians: Bishop Leo McCartie, Fr. Michael Cottrell, Fr. Denis McEvilly