Permanent Diaconate

Kwame is member of St John the Evangelist Catholic Church community in Trowbridge – where he has been actively involved in different ministries since Summer 2017. Due to his interest in the education of young people of minority ethnic groups, he became a volunteer science and mathematics teacher and later a school governor of St Augustine’s Catholic College.

The desire to consider diaconal formation arose after Bishop Declan’s pastoral letter – which highlighted the issue of aging clergy in the coming years – was read during Mass one Sunday in Summer 2019. Kwame enjoys communing with nature, working with vulnerable people of the community and interacting with people of other faiths. He began diaconal formation in September 2022.

Joe is a member of Holy Rood Catholic Church in Swindon where he currently serves as a Reader and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and participates in a number of activities in the church. Joe began his diaconal formation in September 2018.

John was baptised in, and is still a parishioner of, St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham. He is involved as a musician, singer, reader and catechist in both St Gregory’s and St Thomas More, and also as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion visits the sick in hospital and those housebound. A Teacher of Computer Science at St Edward’s Catholic Secondary School in Cheltenham, John also provides support maintaining the parish website. He is married to Jane and they have grown up children with whom they enjoy cycling, sailing and making music.  John began his diaconal formation in September 2018.

Dale lives in Swindon with his wife Rosalind and their two daughters. He has been a member of St Peter’s parish since his reception into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2009.  He is involved in a number of parish activities including serving and reading at Mass as well as distributing communion and is a member of the Parish Council.  For leisure, Dale enjoys motorcycling and any form of motorsport.

Darius came to the United Kingdom in 2006 with his wife and two children and is from the St Joseph parish in Weston-super-Mare. He is engaged in many parish activities like serving and reading at Mass, psalm singing as well as playing church organs and is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. He helps out at the Polish parish in Weston-super-Mare where he is also a member of a rosary prayer group. In his free time Dariusz likes to cook and go on long walks or hikes where he taking photographs.

Robert lives in Bristol where he is a member of the Clifton Cathedral parish. He is Mission Outreach Co-ordinator and Treasurer at St John the Evangelist church in Bath. Robert runs the Mercy Group at the cathedral supporting those with mental health issues. He is a Trust Chaplain at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southmead hospitals and Catholic Chaplain at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.  Robert is married with three grown up children.  In his leisure time he enjoys reading theology and history. 

Bart has been living in Bristol since 2005, is based at St Bonaventure’s Parish and the Polish community Church in Bristol. Is involved in catechesis and evangelisation for youth, men, marriages and families. He is a husband to Anna and father of 4 children; loves Bible, all things evangelisation, coffee and sport. Worked in social housing and support for elderly and then homeless people, now helping the poor and vulnerable all over the world with our catholic community aid agency – CAFOD.  Bart began his diaconal formation in September 2018.

Krzysztof moved to the UK in 2004 and have been living in Bristol since then. He is happy husband to Joanna and father to Jakub and Maria. They are members of the Polish Parish of Our Lady of Ostrobrama in Bristol. He works for Openreach Ltd as a power engineer. So, as an electrician he maintains services in the Polish church on voluntary basis. In 2013 he was appointed as the Parish Safety Representative as well. He and his wife became animators of Encounters of Married Couples Association (Association within the Catholic Church) working with couples and their families. His hobbies are volleyball, skiing and taekwondo. Kris began his diaconal formation in September 2022.

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James lives in Bristol and is married to Louise.  He is a life long member of the parish of St Bernadette Church in Whitchurch, Bristol.  He is greatly involved with parish life including serving, Extraordinary minister of communion, reader and a member of the pastoral team.  In his leisure time he enjoys gardening and socialising with friends and his godchildren.  He is enjoying the journey the Lord is taking him on, taking him outside his comfort zone.  James began his diaconate formation in September 2021.