Parish Priests

 Fr Francis Burdett, 1926 - 1928

He was the first parish priest at St Mary's. He was responsible for the building of the first St Mary's Church in December 1926.  In 1928, Father Francis Burdett commissioned Eric Gill to carve a 75cm high statue of Madonna and Child out of Portland stone for a niche on the outside of the west wall of the old church. In 1927, Christopher Hollis, who was born in Wells, wrote a book about Glastonbury entitled “Glastonbury and England”, and it was dedicated to Father Burdett.

Fr Patrick O'Beirne 1929 - 1938 

Fr Michael Fitzpatrick 1938-1944

Born in 1906 in County Cavan and educated for the priesthood in Wexford where he was ordained in 1932. After serving at Clifton, Swindon, and Bath. He was, in 1938, appointed parish priest in Glastonbury. He was responsible for getting the present St Mary's Church and presbytery built. He worked tirelessly to raise the money to see the church built. The total cost was £11,000, with over £900 being raised by the parishioners themselves. Work started on the church in 1939, and although World War II commenced that year, the church building work went on. A couple of weeks after the official opening, a party for the parishioners was held at the Drill Hall in Glastonbury. Here, Fr Michael was thanked for all his hard work in raising the money for the church and he was presented with furniture for his new home. Also, various items were presented to the church, including the altar and stained-glass window in the Lady Chapel in memory of the late Miss D'Abreu (former boarder in the convent). The window in the Sacred Heart Chapel was donated by Mr Gilmer, a jeweller from Bath. At this party, Fr Michael hoped that all the debts would be cleared on the church by the end of 1941, in fact they were cleared by July 1941, when the church was consecrated. It was a great joy to Fr Michael that in each of the altars, there is a relic of Blessed Oliver Plunkett, the Martyred Archbishop of Armagh, whose body rests at Downside in Somerset. Fr Michael died in 1962.

Fr William Ryan 1944 - 1948

Fr William was born in Ireland in 1913 and went to Weston-Super-Mare after leaving Glastonbury. He died in 2006 aged 93.

Fr Joseph Sheehan 1948 - 1952

Fr Joseph moved to Swindon after leaving Glastonbury and died 1991.

Fr James O'Brien 1952 - 1962

Fr James was born and studied at Waterford. After ordination he served at Bristol, Minehead and Wardour, coming to Glastonbury in 1952. He greatly beautified the church and was devoted to the work of the pilgrimages which he pioneered among the Universities and distant parts of the country. When the newly erected Shrine was established in 1955 by the Holy See, it was his privilege to personally carry the statue of the Madonna after the Blessing by the Apostolic Delegate Archbishop O'Hara and install it in its place in the church.

Fr Sean McNamara 1962 - 1967

He was born in County Clare in Ireland and ordained at St Kieran's College Kilkenny in 1943. He served in Trowbridge, Stroud and Winchcombe. He came to Glastonbury in 1962. He had a sincere devotion to Our Blessed Lady and a keen and active interest in the work of the Legion of Mary. In 1965 his last important work in the church was the removal of the High Altar and the erection of a new one where Mass is now said facing the people. Fr Sean died in Somerset in 1967 and is buried in Ireland not far from the place of his birth and many friends in Glastonbury contributed towards a memorial on his grave which will remind all who visit his last resting place that he laboured for the souls in the Parish of St Mary’s Glastonbury.

Fr John O'Connor 1968 - 1982

Fr John wrote a booklet about the tapestry hung behind the altar at St Mary's. He left 1982 and retired 1992 in Weston-Super-Mare.

Fr Nicholas Tranter 1982 - 1984

Died 2021.

Fr Paul Sankey 1984 - 1998

He was born in 1932 in London. He studied natural sciences at Cambridge. He trained at Oscott and was ordained in 1962. In 1984 he came to Glastonbury. He was responsible for having the church hall built in 1995. He loved gardening, model trains, singing, cooking. Sadly, he had a stroke in 1998 and went to live at the Royal Star and Garter home in Surbiton. He died in 2016. His requiem mass was held at St Mary’s, and he is buried in Glastonbury cemetery.

Fr Kevin Knox-Lecky 1999 - 2012

He was born in 1955 and was educated at King's School Bruton in Somerset. He was a gifted musician and linguist. Leaving school, he read music at Trinity College London and trained as an organist. He became Catholic in 1976 and trained in Spain. He was fluent in Spanish, French and German, which he learnt from living in these countries. He was ordained 1983 in Clifton Cathedral. He was assistant priest in the Cathedral. He then moved in 1988 to Stroud and then to Corsham. He came to Glastonbury in 1999 and eight years later was appointed Dean of the Glastonbury Deanery. He loved rescue dogs. He had a special skill as a simultaneous interpreter in the English and Spanish sign language for the deaf. He signed for the deaf at masses in the diocese. In 2012 he was moved to a new parish in Bath. Sadly in 2014 he died; his requiem mass was held in a packed St Mary’s Church and there is a memorial bird bath in the presbytery garden of St Mary's.

Fr James Finan 2012 - 2017

He was born in Bristol and trained at Oscott. He came to Glastonbury in 2012. In 2017 he returned to a parish in Bristol.

Fr Bede Rowe 2017 - 2021

He trained at Oscott and was ordained in Clifton cathedral in 2005. He signed masses for the deaf. He was Deacon in Bristol, then assistant priest in Cheltenham and then in Warminster. After five and a half years, he went to France for three years as chaplain and Mathematics Teacher at Chavagnes International College in France. Since then, he was a private chaplain to a family in Northumberland whilst studying for a PhD at Durham University. In 2017 came to Glastonbury and in 2019 he was joined by Fr Anselm. He left in 2021 and in 2022 returned to Chavagnes International College as Chaplain and Mathematics Teacher.

Fr Anselm Redman 2019 - 2021

Fr Alexander (as he was known) was formerly a personal assistant in the House of Commons. He studied classics at Durham University. He studied for the priesthood in Rome and was ordained with Fr Bede in 2005 in Clifton Cathedral. He worked as a prison chaplain before being a priest in Warminster and Frome. He then came to Glastonbury in 2019 and changed his name to Fr Anselm. He left in 2021 and is currently at Chavagnes International College in France as Assistant Chaplain and Teacher of Religious Education.

Fr Dominic Findlay-Wilson 2022 - Present

His home is Salisbury in Wiltshire. He studied science at University College of Wales in Aberystwyth and ran a business with his brother for 13 years. He studied for the priesthood in Rome and Guildford and was ordained on 27 July 2014. He came to St Mary’s in 2022 from the English Martyrs Church in Chard and is also Dean for the Glastonbury Deanery.