Catholics from Marnhull and Gillingham gathered at Our Lady’s Church, Marnhull, for a Mass of Thanksgiving for the ministry of Father Martin Budge, who is leaving the parish after nearly 20 years.

This farewell Mass was celebrated in the school field beside the church, and followed by a party and presentation in the school hall. Ordained in 1988, Fr Budge served at the Cathedral in Plymouth and in Camborne before coming to the parish of Our Lady’s Marnhull and St Benedict’s Gillingham in 2002.

He will be returning to the Cathedral, where he will join the clergy team. He is certainly not going into complete retirement. This role will require a new set of vestments, and his congregation presented him with a cheque towards purchasing these, and also printer to help as, albeit reluctantly, he moves into the digital age. After thanking the parishioners for these gifts Fr Martin spoke of his sadness in leaving Marnhull and Gillingham, and promised to pray for them all.

A parishioner said: “Our Lady’s and St Benedict’s in total cover some 80 square miles, with three towns and some 24 villages within its bounds. During his time in North Dorset Fr Martin has served this community, as well as being rural dean for Dorset, with devotion and reverence, and a deep respect for the liturgy. He has overseen the appointment of two deacons, worked with the parish school, instituting a children’s Mass for them. He had a special rapport with the sick and elderly, visiting them and taking the Sacrament. Worshippers from overseas communities were all made welcome, and he also established relationships in the community both church and secular.”

“Fr Martin lived simply and unostentatiously in the presbytery at Marnhull. He looked after himself, cooking, making his own bread. A prayerful man, he read deeply. A great source of relaxation and refreshment was walking in the Dorset countryside which he loved. He also had a delightful self-deprecating sense of humour. He will be much missed.”

Fr Martin’s successor is Fr Francis Straw OSB, who comes to Dorset from Buckfast.

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