CANON John O’Shea, the parish priest of St James Church, Reading, has retired from active priestly ministry in Reading.

He was the Lead Catholic priest, Coordinator of the six Catholic parishes in Reading.

Fr John, as he was known, was much involved with Reading Interfaith Group, having taken his community to visit the Mosque and the Synagogue in Reading.

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He played an active part in the Reading Hidden Abbey Project Group and oversaw the restoration work on the three Reading Abbey Ruins on the St James Site.

Over the years he has built up an active parish community with a church attendance of 800 – 1000 at his various Sunday Masses before the lockdown.

He has built up a diverse, multi-cultural community and in recent weeks has led the parish to embrace the digital and online world to stay connected with the parish community.

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St James now has AV screens and has streamed online Masses which has been much appreciated not only by the parish but also many in the UK and abroad.

Fr John is retiring to Ireland to live near his family.

Fr Chris Heaps has been appointed by Bishop Philip Egan, Bishop of the Diocese of Portsmouth, as the new parish priest to start in September.