I would like
to welcome the Reverend Tom Birch, who is the new parish priest of St Oswin’s
Church in Wylam and St Mary the Virgin Church in Ovingham. He is the first
vicar to be the incumbent of both parishes, and on Monday evening he was
welcomed into the community at a packed St Mary the Virgin Church, where he was licensed
by the Bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Rev. Christine Hardman. Mr Birch was
previously assistant curate at St Nicholas’ Church in Gosforth. I wish him,
his wife Jessica and their three children the best of luck in their new
community, and I look forward to getting to know him over the coming years.
