The Priests
Father Brian O'Shea
Father Brian O’Shea Was born and brought up in Witham his parents
met during a mission at
the original Church.
He remembers the Church of Our Lady Immaculate. As a seven year old pupil
at the adjoining school
and prising open the heavy door to glimpse Monsignor Wilson celebrating
Mass… seeds of faith
developing during those early morning visits.
After school and college he worked as an apprentice journalist in Essex
for five years and in 1966 was
accepted as a student for the priesthood. After studies at Campion House,
Osterly and St Edmunds, Ware,
he was ordained at Brentwood Cathedral in 1974. He served as assistant
priest at Wansted, Colchester and
Harold Hill before being appointed parish priest of St Basils’s Basildon
in 1985 and to St Edmund of
Canterbury Loughton in 1992.
He succeeded Fr Brian O’Higgins in October 2002. In April 2003 under
his guidance, the Churches
of OLI and Holy Name were linked.
Very Rev. Mgr George Stokes
Father George is based in Brentwood at the Cathedral where he works as
Director of Education
for the Diocese. Nevertheless he helps the parish maintain a busy schedule
of weekday and
Sunday Masses. He also helps with Devotions in May and October plus Vespers
and Benediction
during Lent and Advent.