Society of Saint Peter the Apostle

The Society of St Peter the Apostle has for many years been quietly active in our parish, as part of a sponsorship programme.  This programme supports a senior seminarian in the developing world during the final four years of training and formation to be ordained a priest. As a sponsor you agree to donate £500 a year, by standing order, for these four years, a total of £2,000. You may choose a particular country in which a named seminarian is allocated to be sponsored and who you, as the sponsor, may correspond with and encourage. Your thoughts and prayers are of course also needed and welcomed for this mission. 

We consider the achievements below to be the inspiration and action of the Holy Spirit. 

In 1995, the sponsorship of a seminarian in India began, funded by a weekly collection of donations given in little brown envelopes.   

In 1999 Fr Louis was ordained for the Vijayawada diocese. He is now the parish priest at St Teresa of Avila Church in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, India. 

In 2004, Fr Francis was ordained for the Lilongwe diocese, Malawi, where he was first based at the Archbishop’s House, moving on to become involved in seminary teaching. 

There was a gap of some years. 

In 2016, Fr Wajira was ordained in Sri Lanka. 

A further two sponsorships were added and in April 2017 Fr Santhosh was ordained for the Visakahapatnam diocese in India and in 

May 2017, Fr Eric was ordained for the Mombasa diocese in Kenya. 

In November 2017, a sponsorship began of a seminarian at The Bigard Memorial Seminary in Nigeria (Jeanne Bigard 1859 –1934 was the foundress of the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle).  His studies have been delayed because of the COVID pandemic, but he has been ordained a deacon. 

We would like to invite you to consider joining us in this mission.  Could you set aside £45 a month for 4 years, to support a seminarian to become a priest, a friend, a proclaimer of God’s message to those who do not know Him?