Fr William Charlton

Since his appointment to the Church of St Alphonsus in Middlesbrough about three years ago, Fr Charlton has celebrated a Mass in the usus antiquior at his church each Sunday evening at 6pm. Prior to his moving to Middlesbrough, Fr Charlton was the regular celebrant of the 6.30 Sunday evening Mass in York.

News has filtered down that Fr Charlton will be leaving Middlesbrough later this month to be part of a newly formed community of Benedictine monks in France. We wish Fr Charlton and the new community every success.

Some had feared that this move would bring about the end of Latin Masses in Middlesbrough. I am pleased to be able to confirm that the Middlesbrough Sunday evening Masses will continue. The celebrant will be Mgr John Heslin, a retired priest of the Birmingham Archdiocese living in Saltburn. He used to celebrate First Friday Masses at the Church of St Clare in Middlesbrough.

I hope that Mgr Heslin's Masses will be well supported.