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Surrey science teacher to become Permanent Deacon


Source: Diocese of Arundel & Brighton

A Surrey Science Teacher Tim Merrill is to be Ordained a Deacon at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Redhill on Sunday 29 June.

Tim Murrill, a science teacher at St Bede's School, Redhill is the first permanent deacon ever to be ordained for the Catholic Church in Redhill. Tim has been teaching Physics and science at St Bede's, Redhill and was until September 2007 Head of Department but is now teaching part-time. He is married to Nicki whom he has known since childhood and they have two grown up children, Rebecca and Jonathan.

After ordination he intends to carry on teaching science part-time at St Bede's as well as working as a deacon in his local parish, St Joseph's.

Tim said: "This is a tremendous year for me as I celebrate a 50th Birthday, a 25th Wedding Anniversary and now my ordination as a deacon! I am looking forward not only to the challenge of working as a science teacher but also to working as a deacon in Redhill. I believe science and religion are not opposed to one another but that they can instruct each other, faith and reason actually go hand in hand."

Diocesan Bishop Kieran Conry, will lead the ceremony alongside the local parish priest, Fr Laurence Quin-Morris and other priests, deacons along with hundreds of family, friends and fellow parishioners.

As part of the ceremony Bishop Kieran lays his hands on Tim's head, just as the first apostles did to those first Christian disciples who they invited to share in the mission given to the apostles by Jesus. He also embraces the new deacon in a sign of welcome and then Tim exchanges the same with all the deacons present. Finally he blesses both Tim and Nicki, and offers a prayer of thanks for Nicki's support of her husband.

"I am looking forward with both excitement and trepidation to the whole ceremony but I will be supported by the presence and prayers of so many friends, family and parishioners. I am really looking forward to my ministry and to serving my local community," said Tim.

The first big event for Tim will be when he goes to the famous shrine of our Lady in Lourdes in the south of France with the rest of the diocese of Arundel & Brighton with over 1,000 pilgrims from Surrey and Sussex. This visit will be a special one for Tim not only because it is the 150th anniversary of the shrine but because it was there that he first considered his calling to serve others in the diaconate.

The ordination will be followed by a big reception in the local hall open to all at the invitation of the parish priest Fr Laurence Quin-Morris and the parishioners of St Joseph's.

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