Parish of Melbourne and Castle Donington

Father Anthony Axe, O.P.

Fr. Anthony Axe was born in Yorkshire in 1944 and qualified at the De La Salle Training College in Manchester in 1965 as a teacher. After eight years teaching in Catholic primary schools in Doncaster, he was appointed headmaster of St. Cuthbert's Primary School in Northumberland. While working there he studied for an Open University degree in Humanities and came across the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers, in Newcastle.

He joined the Order in September 1976 and subsequently obtained a theology degree at Oxford University (1979-1982) where his interest in biblical archaeology became apparent. In 1983 he studied for a year at the Ecole Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem, the prestigious biblical and archaeological centre founded and administered by the Dominican Order. On his return to England he was assigned to the now defunct Spode Conference Centre in Rugeley. During his time there Fr. Anthony obtained a masters degree in Near Eastern Archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology in London. At Spode he also began leading an annual archaeological study tour, which still takes place.

He was assigned to the community in Edinburgh in 1986 where he began teaching a series of opera appreciation classes, which continued with increasing success until 2005. In 1993 he was asked by the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem to return as Professor of Archaeology. There he spent the next four years in charge of the archaeology faculty. Returning to Edinburgh in 1997, Fr. Anthony took up his work more or less where he left off. He became Prior and Parish Priest of St. Albert the Great, the Edinburgh University parish, in 2001.

In 2005, in view of the fact that Fr. Anthony had lived for nineteen years in Edinburgh, he decided it was time for a complete change. He was offered the Catholic Parish of Melbourne and Castle Donington in Derbyshire and Leicestershire and moved there on May 25^th, 2005.

Reverend Paul Boshell

Paul Boshell was born in Bristol and after completing his education in 1967 joined the Custom and Excise at the Bristol Custom House. He subsequently worked for them in Ramsgate, Southampton, Workington, and now works in Derby.

He married Anne in 1972 and they have two children, Paul who is an electrician, and Caroline who is a doctor. They have two granddaughters, Leah and Bethann, children of Paul and his wife Joanne.

Following a serious operation in 1991, Paul decided to put himself forward for the diaconate in recognition of the tremendous support that he received from the Parish during his illness.  His diaconate studies commenced in 1993 and he was ordained Deacon by Bishop James McGuinness four years later, in November 1997, at Nottingham's St Barnabas Cathedral.

The Parish Council

The powerhouse of the parish, the Parish Council consists of twelve members and meets regularly to discuss parish policy.

The Members of the Parish Council are:  Catherine Arkley (Chairperson), Harry Bird (Vice-Chairperson), Grace Burton (Secretary), Kath Dingley, Brendan Freeman, Margaret Greaves, Geraldine Hallam, Rachel Hallam, James Long, Susan Thorburn, Margaret Warwick, Linda Wordsworth.

The Finance Committee

Formed to assist the Parish Priest in matters financial such as managing the Gift Aid Scheme and advising how money is spent.

The members are:  Catherine Arkley, Anne Boshell, Paul Boshell, Geraldine Hallam, Tom O'Connor, Philip Salaun, Brian Sutcliffe,

Child Protection Officers

Catherine Arkley and Claire Hickie.

Special Ministers of the Eucharist

These ministers assist the priest at Mass in the distribution of the sacred elements and take communion tot he sick and housebound.

The Ministers are:

Melbourne: Grace Burton, Ann Daly, James Glynn, Marie Glynn, Francis Hately, Maria Moult, Margaret Warwick

Castle Donington: Caroline Boshell, Margaret Greaves, Geraldine Hallam, Kathie McKay, Kathleen Murray, Susan Thorburn, Mary Webb.

Catechists

These people undertake the important ministry of instructing our children for First Confession, First Communion, Confirmation and children's liturgy.

The Catechists are: Meryl Baldwin, Peter Bates, Grace Burton, Rachel Hallam, Claire Hickie, Claire Saffell.

Readers

These people proclaim the Word at the liturgy.

Our Readers are: Melbourne:  Tom Baldwin, Chris Brookes, Grace Burton, Donna-Maria Coulston-Shields, Kath Dingley, Gerry Hall, Dominic Harrison, John Harrison, Francis Kerr,  Marie Claire Kerr, Ralph Kerr,  Josephine Knight, Maria Moult.

Castle Donington:  Catherine Arkley, Caroline Boshell, John Denton, Christine Gill, Peter Hickie, Matthew Webb.

Welcomers

The parishioners who perform this ministry greet parishioners and visitors as they arrive in church.

The Welcomers are:

Melbourne: Gordon and Sylvia Bellamy, Grace Burton, Jimmy and Marie Glynn, Francis Hately, Asia Jasinska, Norman and Anne Saunders, .

Castle Donington: Kathleen Murray, Don Leanage.

Organist

Melbourne:  Henry Wilkins.

Castle Donington: Julie O'Dowd.

Sacristans

Melbourne: Sylvia Bellamy.

Castle Donington: Margaret Greaves.

Church cleaners and flower arrangers, Fund raisers, Money counters etc.

As in any church comunity, the unsung workers are many and various but no less important.