Deanery Clergy Social

The "Deanery Clergy Social" is one of those institutions unique to the Catholic priesthood. In Bexley Deanery, ours is quite well supported. We meet on a Sunday night in one of the presbyteries from 8pm and finish at 10pm. The host provides drinks and a simple buffet. It's a very simple way for priests to get together and sound off to one another. The combination of strong personalities, varied theological views and over two centuries of parish experience between us makes for a lively and entertaining evening.

Clergy are always avid for news of what is happening in the Diocese. The nugget of gold in this respect is usually Fr John O'Donoghue's latest from the Golf Club. Fr John was a curate at St Mary's in West Croydon when I made my first communion there. We were also able to catch up on news of some of the families that I knew when I was a boy.

It is odd for me as the Dean being the youngest parish priest in the Deanery. As well as Fr O'Donoghue, there is Fr Ryman who taught me chemistry at secondary school. The good thing is that there is no way I could bully them!

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