London: second Catholic mayor for Islington

The London Borough of Islington now has its second Roman Catholic Mayor in succession following the election of Cllr Stefan Kasprzyk at the Annual Council Meeting earlier this summer. Cllr Kasprzyk was born in Islington to Polish parents. He describes himself as "a product of the second World War exodus when the UK kindly let my parents stay." He was educated at St Aloysius College, and is a governor of St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary - the same school that hosted the Saturday School for Poles in the late 1960s. The Mayor Making ceremony was attended by the Polish Vicar Delegate, Mgr Tadeusz Kukla and Robert Rusiecki, the Consul General. His predecessor, Cllr Barbara Smith, is a parishioner of St Joan of Arc, Highbury. Her mayoral year included engagements with a wide variety of faith groups in the Borough and visits to both Catholic and Anglican Schools. A highlight of the year was attending the Bishops Conference Mass at Westminster Cathedral.