Fred Gilbert is a retired Priest living in Peopleton. Hewill turn 89 in August and was ordained Deacon in December of 1959. ThisPetertide, his daughter will be ordained deacon in Manchester Cathedral,joining his son and grandson who have both already been ordained!
Fred himself was ordained in Manchester Cathedral, havingpreviously served for seven years as a church army Captain. He served in anumber of parishes in Manchester Diocese, including helping to set up a teamministry in Rochdale and helping to build a strong lay team in Westhoughton. Heand his family moved to the Diocese of Worcester in 1987 when his wife got ajob at St Richards Hospice and for six years he served at Hanbury in theBowbrook Group, working with another clergy colleague across the two benefices.He retired to Peopleton in 1993 and continued to help in the parish, supportingthem through three vacancies! Fred and his wife have four children.
Fred said:
We always thought our son Mark wanted to be afarmer like his Grandad, but he came home one day and said hed changed hismind and wanted to be like his Dad! Hewas ordained in the Diocese of Chester in 1987 and is now Rural Dean ofPetworth in the Diocese of Chichester. His son Sean also decided to go into thepriesthood and was ordained in the Diocese of Chichester in 2015.
Next weekend Fred will travel up to Manchester Cathedral towatch his daughter, Anne, be ordained Deacon by Bishop David. He said:
Imabsolutely thrilled, its a great feeling to have two children and onegrandchild ordained because I know what a wonderful life it is. Anne will infact be the 16th person from parishes in which Ive served to getordained, which has to be good news!
