Nottingham welcomes two Papal Knights

Dr John Vianney Edwards and Dr Nigel Dennis Chapman with Bishop Patrick McKinney

Source: Diocese of Nottingham

A retired teacher and local coroner, both renowned for their innovation, philanthropy and compassion, have received the significant honour of a papal knighthood.

During a Carol Service at St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham on Friday 12 December, Doctor John Vianney Edwards and Doctor Nigel Dennis Chapman, were both invested as Papal Knights of St Gregory by Bishop Patrick McKinney, which is a very significant honour for a lay person to receive from the Holy See, and rarely awarded.

The honour is commonly bestowed at the diocesan level as a mark of recognition by the Holy See, that an individual has served the Church exceptionally on a local or national level.

Dr John Edwards is a father of five and grandfather of 11, who read History, at Wadham College, Oxford. He dedicated much of his professional life to teaching the subject and his passion led him to create an Anglocentric history curriculum. This successful project resulted in him writing up his work as a PHD.

Towards the end of his career, he was invited to take on the headship of the National School, Hucknall, a Church of England comprehensive school, where he famously transformed the school after Ofsted had deemed it unsatisfactory.

Since his retirement he has dedicated the last 11 years to the unborn and women in crisis pregnancies. He is chair of Nottingham SPUC, has led ten 40 Days for Life campaigns, and manages the team which founded the Saint Colette's Pregnancy Support Centre in Nottingham.

Commenting on the award, he said: "It is humbling and a great honour to be given this award. It represents a powerful recognition by the Church of the importance of defending God's wonderful gift of life, from conception to natural death. It feels especially timely just now, when life - and with it the family - are under threat from so many directions.

"I accept this award on behalf of the many faithful and prayerful pro-lifers in our diocese, who work and pray tirelessly for this cause, not in a spirit of judgement, but one of love - for the unborn and their mothers. I am grateful to my wife and family for their constant support, patience and encouragement. To God be the glory!"

Dr Nigel Chapman was born into the Methodist faith but married his wife Bonnie in the Catholic Church in 1972. Four years later he began his professional career as a GP and converted to Catholicism. By 1993 he was Coroner for Nottinghamshire, and he memorably took his oaths at St Barnabas Cathedral in Nottingham.

Nigel dedicated his coroner work to championing the bereaved, so much so that he was made Deputy Lieutenant in Nottinghamshire on 2nd May 2013 by Sir John Peace, Lord Lieutenant, due to his charity work and care for the bereaved. He set up bereavement support services for families in court and was honoured with a visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, for his team's innovative work.

Nigel was the first Coroner nationally to provide the people of Nottingham with a 24/7 Coroner's service, and he was the first to offer a 'personal' out of hours service to ethnic groups: Muslim, Hindu, Indian, Jewish; to provide documentation so that they could organise funerals quickly, to better accommodate their religious beliefs.

As Coroner, Nigel also ensured that those not wishing to have a postmortem to have an MRI scan instead; this was an innovative non-invasive technique to find the cause of death. He has given his whole life to caring for the vulnerable, the bereaved, the elderly and the dying.

Commenting on his papal knighthood, Nigel said: "I am deeply honoured and very surprised to be made a knight of St Gregory. I am grateful to Bishop Patrick for his kindness in nominating me. There are many people that are more deserving of the award. There are also many people and clergy who have helped me over the years."

Reflecting on his life as a parishioner of St Barnabas Cathedral, Nigel said: "At the Cathedral I have served on the finance committee and the friends of the Cathedral committee. My late wife Bonnie and I were always happy to help around the Cathedral and were on the refreshment's rota after mass. It was always our task to clean the crypt!

"I have always tried to express my faith in my work following as best I could the Gospel Values. Again, I am most grateful to Bishop Patrick and all those who have helped in my Catholic journey especially as a convert."