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The Parish Priest
Fr. Robert Thornton, the first parish priest remained at St. Joseph's until his death in December 1970.
Fr. John O'Gorman became parish priest in January 1971 and remained so until his retirement in September 2003.
From the formation of the parish to the early 1990's the following
served as assistant priests in the parish;-
Fr. Wilfrid Fee, Fr. Fitzgerald, Fr. Martin Cahill, Fr. Philip Morris, Fr.
Nicholas Power, Fr. Bede McGarry, Fr.Gerard Martin, Fr. Alan Macknight,
Fr. Denis O'Mahony, Fr. Patrick Magner, Fr. Brian Murphy, Fr. Robert Kinlen,
Fr. Martin Tobin and Fr. Wayne Roxburgh.
Father Shaun O'Neill
By 2004 the number of priests serving the seven parishes of Stockton had fallen to four and Fr. Shaun O'Neill, B.Sc, Cert. Ed., B.A. was given responsibility for St Joseph's and SS Peter & Paul's parishes.
| Fr. Shaun was born in BIyth, Northumberland
on 22 September 1965. He attended St. Oswald's Primary School, Gosforth
for two years, then Sacred Heart Primary School, Wideopen. From 1977
to 1985 he was a pupil at St. Cuthbert's RC Secondary School from where
he went to Bradford University, gaining a 2:2 honours in Chemistry in
1988. He qualified as a teacher from St Martin's College, Lancaster
in 1990. In the same year he entered Ushaw College and gained a 2:1 honours in Theology and Ministry from Durham University in 1994. Fr. Shaun was ordained Priest at St. Mary's Cathedral Newcastle on 22 June 1996, the feast of SS John Fisher & Thomas More. Fr. Shaun began life as a priest in St. Mary's parish Sunderland, followed by two years at St. Peter's Low Fell. From there he was moved to SS Peter & Paul's parish Roseworth, where he served for one year before being given the care of St. Joseph's, Norton, in September 2003. |
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Father Robert Thornton
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Father Robert Thornton was appointed parish Priest for St. Joseph's, Norton in 1933, and remained as priest of the parish until his death in December 1970. |
Father John O'Gorman
The following notes provide a brief biography of a much loved person, who faithfully served as parish Priest for St. Joseph's, Norton, from 1971 until 2003.
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Born near Killarney, Ireland, on 30 October 1928.
Attended local primary school and Christian Brothers' secondary school in
Tralee.
Studies in preparation for the Priesthood at St Kiernan's College, Kilkenny.
After Ordination at St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny, on 8 June 1952, served
at
English Martyrs, Newcastle
St Patrick's, Consett, and
St Charles, Gosforth
before succeeding the late Father Thornton as Parish Priest of St Joseph's, Norton, in January 1971.
Father O'Gorman's Golden Jubilee was celebrated by the Parish
of St. Joseph on 7 June 2002.
For some splendid pictures of this splendid occasion, visit the gallery
of Golden Jubilee photos.
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