Although it hasn’t been possible to say farewell in person to all the Junior School parents due to sheer logistics, I hope that you will all enjoy listening to my ‘Desert Island Discs’ podcast that was recorded with Denis Nowlan , our Chair of Governors. It should give you a flavour of where I got my inspiration for teaching in my younger years before the Junior School came into my life!
Meanwhile, three weeks ago, I was in Belgium for a ‘flying visit’ with my successor, Mr Dan Jameson , to say farewell to the Headteachers of all our sister Josephite schools in Belgium: 7 in total in 36 hours! We always meet close to the Feast Day of St Joseph (19 March), and it was very moving to say a prayer at the tomb of our Founder – Constant van Crombrugghe – in thanksgiving for all the blessings of my and my family’s association with him. I thought that you might be amused to see a photo of me all those years ago on my first visit with my wife & two sons in 2004, and recently with Mr Jameson in 2025!
Happily, I was back in England for the celebration of the Feast of St Joseph last week, and was very touched that my brother – Bishop Nicholas Hudson of the Westminster RC Diocese – came to celebrate it: a fitting squaring of the family circle as he is only 16 months older than me and has, therefore, known me since dot! It was also lovely that we could be joined by some Governors and by Julie Oldroyd , the Director of the Education Service for the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton to witness the blessing of the two ceramic tiles that are my gift to the School and are placed to the left of the Chapel Foyer Doors. What I didn’t know until it happened was that my brother would be presenting me at the Mass with the ‘Benemerenti’ Award from Pope Francis for my services to Catholic education over the past 22 years! I feel deeply honoured and humbled by it – and delighted that my wife, Helen, could also be there for the special occasion.
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