New priest ordained for Arundel & Brighton

Bishop Keiran with Fr Simon

On a warm summer's evening, Surrey-born Deacon Simon Dray was ordained a priest by Bishop Kieran Conry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel & Brighton at Our Lady of Sorrows, Bognor Regis in West Sussex on Wednesday 10 July.

A packed church, filled to overflowing saw him ordained for service in the church in Surrey and Sussex. He was joined not only by his parents Sheila and Chris and his brother Brian, but also family, parishioners of Bognor Regis parish as well as many friends from across the Diocese and elsewhere. Bishop Kieran was joined by 50 priests who welcomed Simon into the priesthood. He has been a parishioner in Bognor Regis since his parents moved there in 2007.

Father Simon, as he can now be called, was born and raised in the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton. He spent his early years in Ewell, Surrey where he was a parishioner at St Clement's in Ewell. He had been baptised there by his great uncle Fr Alexis Mullens OSM and will indeed celebrate his first Mass there on Thursday 11th July at 7pm. During his childhood and teenage years he was a server at Sunday Mass before becoming Master of Ceremonies in the parish. He briefly moved away from Ewell to study Geography at the University of Wales in 1997 before returning to work in the London Passport Office for 6 years. In 2007 he entered seminary, St John's Seminary, Wonersh, near Guildford where he spent 6 years training for the priesthood.

Fr Simon who is 34 years old said: "Although I was born and brought up a Catholic I did not think about a vocation to the Priesthood until 2005. It was both the powerful witness of John Paul II's final days and all the prayers for him in April 2005, and attending World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany later that year in July that I first began to hear God's call."

He continued "Whilst I was at World Youth 2005 I was challenged by a Dutch priest as to why I had never considered the priesthood. This started a process of reflection, for though on returning home I thought I could find fulfilment through advancement in my secular career, I soon realised that I must act on the Dutch priest's challenge. In summer 2007 I was accepted as a student for the priesthood and entered seminary in September of that year."

Fr Simon now begins the next stage of his life as assistant priest at St Mary Magdalen in Bexhill, East Sussex. Here he will assist parish priest, Fr David Parmiter with saying Mass, visiting the sick, working with young people, celebrating funerals and baptisms, visiting local schools and much more. Fr Simon said: "Today was a moment of great joy in the gift of priesthood I have received from the Lord and I looked forward with happiness and excitement to serving the people of Arundel & Brighton Diocese and in particular in St Mary Magadalen's, Bexhill."

At his ordination in his Homily Bishop Kieran Conry said to Simon that he should not be "a grumpy priest", but rather "a priest filled with compassion and love", listening to and, in the words of the Gospel of the Mass, 'healing the sick'.

The ordination was followed by a wonderful reception in the parish hall and specially erected marquee where Fr Simon was warmly received by family, friends, clergy and parishioners.