AGM 2025 Address of the National Director
Delivered at the 2025 Annual General Meeting, November 2025.
Dear Guild Members,
Many of you may know me as part of the Guild Goods packing team. They couldn’t pack without me, as over the years the Goods have been stored in the Presbyteries where I have resided, and I have often been the one to respond to those emergencies when you have forgotten to order something for St. Stephen’s Day or some other major Guild parish occasion! The impossible we do at once miracles take a bit longer. I must at this point praise the work of the Goods Manager and the team who do a sterling job, often hand delivering, even just before St. Stephen’s Day. I would often take part in these hand deliveries, even on one occasion to a young Server in Blackpool - now Honorary President (I was on my way to the Pleasure Beach!).
I was enrolled into the Guild in St. Mary and St. Joseph’s Church, Poplar, where I grew up. I was trained by Fr. John Kersey a very pro Guild Priest and along with many others, including my good friend and fellow priest Fr. Perry Sykes. We both received our ten-year Silver Medals and, inspired by the priestly example of Canon John Wright, I was one of the first seminarians to be accepted by Cardinal Basil Hume. Fr. Perry followed a few years later, one of the servers I trained is now a permanent Deacon. The Guild is a rich source for vocations. Please be on the look out to encourage the calling to service as a Priest. Deacon or Religious Sister or Brother.
Whilst at the Seminary I became a Scout Leader and apart from taking Scouts camping, I would later often make use of equipment and facilities to take servers camping. I was later to become County Chaplain for Greater London Central, but that’s another story.
Ordained Deacon in 1981 I spent my first year at Kingsbury Green where I was given responsibility of training the younger servers. Their M.C., an elderly and saintly man (William Rose) was turned down for priesthood for Westminster Diocese but he pursued his calling and was ordained by Cardinal Hume as a Camillus Father. Another young parishioner -aged nine or ten when I was there, went on to be a Priest for Westminster and is now in Plymouth Diocese and regularly attends the Masses in Westminster Cathedral with his servers.
For some reason, known only to a few (and possibly a clerical error – no pun intended) I served a second year as a Deacon at Sacred Heart, Eden Grove.
After Ordination by Cardinal Hume at Poplar on 17th September 1983 – one day before the fifth Anniversary of the death of Canon John Wright – my first temporary appointment was to St. Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street as Chaplain to University College Hospital, and then as Assistant Priest to St. Joan of Arc, Highbury, supposedly for three to five years but as often happens after two years I was asked to become Assistant Director at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney with responsibility for youth retreats. This was supposed to be a three-year appointment, which became five!
My first appointment as Parish Priest was to St. Jude, Clapton Park (perhaps I was thought to be a hopeless case?) where I worked to build up the Guild. Fr. William Rose O.S. Cam, was based nearby as Chaplain to the Homerton Hospital and would provide supply cover as well as encouragement to our servers. It was at St. Jude’s that I began to take a more active involvement in the work of the Guild. A mother of some servers from the next-door parish, asked if I was going to the Guild AGM in the Convent of the Daughters of Charity in Victoria. Along with her eldest son I attended the meeting and was “noticed” by Mr. Guild himself, the late Mr Anthony “Tony” Hawes. along with one of our present Honorary Councillors Mr. Michael Chute. When the National Director Fr. Peter Latham died. Tony Hawes went to see Cardinal Cormac Murphy O Conner seeking the appointment of both National and Westminster Diocesan Directors. “Do you have any suggestions” he asked? He was presented with two names one of which was mine the other Fr. Dennis Touw - not sure if any of us drew the short straw, but I have been very happy with my lot!
Next stop for me was Our Lady of Fatima White City, and at one-point oversight of St. Aiden of Lindisfarne, East Acton. From the two servers I had at London Colney and the ten or so at Clapton Park, when I left White City there were over a hundred and thirty! One of whom my good friend, Miss Gillian McLaughlin would go on to become Guild Goods Manager. It was at White City that the Guild Goods were rehoused having been stored at St. Joseph’s Wembley where Fr. Peter Latham previous National Director, had been Parish Priest, strangely he had some connection with Poplar!
For a change of scenery and much to my surprise (perhaps I had been naughty) I was sent home to Poplar, such was the surprise that I failed to hear the words “and Parish Priest of Limehouse”.
Just over two years ago I was moved to my current parish of St. Mary and St. Michael, which growing up in Poplar had been our “rival neighbourhood parish” needless to say the Guild Goods moved with me – “And neighbours have become good friends”!
Over the years I have been involved as Diocesan Director I have seen Guild activities grow. From a National Pilgrimage to Walsingham, to National Masses originally just in Westminster, now moving around the country. From Pilgrimages to Rome and Assisi to a day out at Alton Towers. There has also been a growth of Diocesan Masses, which is good to experience and sometimes can provide moments of amusement. When at White City I took a coachload of servers and parents to Northampton’s first Diocesan Mass with the newly appointed Bishop Perter Doyle. During his homily he went around the Cathedral asking which parish the servers came from. “Our Lady of Fatima” replied my servers. Slightly puzzled he said “We haven’t got a parish of Our Lady of Fatima, have we?”
Something which Fr. Dennis would draw to our attention at this meeting is that the Guild is the largest youth movement in the country and as seen as such M.C.’s and senior servers need to be aware of safeguarding procedures and suitable DBS checks and training be carried out and measures put in place that reduce the risk of abuse and false accusations.
I think I have rambled on long enough. However, there is an announcement I need to make as National Director and that is I have appointed Mr Michael O’Leary, long time Secretary, and member of Central Council and Mr John Mc Cormac who has served in many capacities in the Brentwood Diocese and has recently stood down as Chair. I am grateful that they have both accepted this role.
I cannot conclude without putting on record how saddened I am and I am sure that you all are, that Fr. Dennis has to stand down as National Director due to ill health. You and I owe him a great debt of gratitude for his leadership and wise council over these past years. His are very big shoes to fill. Please keep him in your prayers and myself also as I begin my new role.
