MY DEAR PARISHIONERS,

As you may have already read in our last newsletter, Bishop Philip has appointed me as Assistant Priest to our Parish. As such I will be supporting Canon John in the priestly ministry to our community. While I have already personally met many of you, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you.

My name is Fr. Benedikt Timpe. I am 36 years old and come from Germany, where I was born one of two children of my parents. As a teenager I began exploring the possibility of a vocation. I joined a religious community of Franciscan Friars in Italy, where I lived for about 7 years, receiving my spiritual formation and seminary training in various houses of study belonging to the community.

In 2018 I transferred to England as a member of a new branch of the same Franciscan family. On the 5th July 2019 I was ordained to the priesthood at Portsmouth Cathedral by Bishop Philip. Since then I have served as a priest in the Diocese of Portsmouth. I recently leŌ my previous religious community and am joining the Diocese of Portsmouth as a Secular Priest.

In May of the current year the Bishop asked me to come to the Parish of Fareham to assist and enable Canon John to have some necessary rest, as he had suffered an injury. Bishop Philip has now asked me to stay on and to serve in our Parish as an Assistant Priest.

I look forward to get to know you and to assist you with my priestly ministry. In the meanwhile, I entrust myself to your prayer and thank you for all the support that I have already received from so many of you. God bless!