THREE months after resigning his post as a protest against the ordination of women bishops in the Church of England, Father Donald Minchew has conducted his last Mass at St Michael and All Angels in West Croydon. Father Donald, who apologised for any upset he had caused during the course of his ministry, will now head up the Ordinariate Group at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in West Croydon.
He is being joined by his assistant priest, Father Ken Berry and around 40 members of the St Michael's congregation.
On average St Michael's has a total congregation at Sunday services of around 100.
The concept of the Ordinariate was established by Pope Benedict as a way of providing a home for Church of England members who wanted to move to the Roman Catholic Church.
Father Donald, 64, now hopes he will be ordained as a Catholic priest at Whitsun and continue to lead the Ordinariate.
He has been parish priest at St Michael's, a church with a strong Anglo Catholic tradition, for nearly 17 years and said this week leaving had obviously been a great wrench.
He said: "It has been tough for everybody but the welcome we have received from St Mary's has more than compensated for any pain that there has been. I have loved every moment I have been at St Michael's and I told people at my last services that I was sorry to anyone I had upset over the course of my ministry."
Father Donald added: "I do of course have lots of regrets but the secret of life is to look forward and not look back. You have got to move forward in faith to where God is calling you."
He said he believed one of the greatest things that had been achieved during his time at the church was that St Michael's was open to all day to everyone.
Father Donald said: "We have around 24,000 people coming through the church a year to light candles or just to look at and realise what an architectural gem that we have here in the centre of Croydon."
Father Donald's ministry ended on Tuesday and also his stipend stops.
He is being allowed by the Diocese of Southwark to remain living in the vicarage until the end of June.