The Revd Michael Burns writes:
ONE of the most distinctive ways in which Prebendary Michael Shrewsbury (Gazette, 15 May) encouraged me, among others, was when he was Vicar of Holy Trinity, Dalston.
The Holy Trinity Institute boasted a small top-floor flat and, during much of the 1970s and early 1980s, two ordinands at a time from King’s College, London, lived there for a year at a reduced rent, able to take part in the daily life of the parish. This included helping on Sundays, an evening meal at the Turkish restaurant near by, and a pint in the Queen Vic with the vicar.
In particular, we were able to see at first-hand how this warmest and most encouraging of priests lived out his ministry in this tough East End parish, and there is no doubt that this experience has influenced many of us in our subsequent ministries.
It was typical of Michael’s generosity that, in retirement in 2017, the year of the 60th anniversary of his priesthood, he hosted a residential reunion at St John’s College, Durham, when many of us were able to reflect on our varied ministries, all of us in different spheres of church work: an archdeacon, a diocesan director of studies, a diocesan director of ordinands, as well as ordinary parish priests (like me). All of us were bound together by having been both a part of the life of Holy Trinity, Dalston, and enormously privileged to know this remarkable and generous man.
