THE parishes of Bywell and Stocksfield welcomed a new vicar to their villages this week.

The Rev. Dr Pat Moran was licensed by the Bishop of Newcastle at a service at St Peter’s Church in Bywell on Monday evening.

The service was also attended by representatives from a range of local organisations, members of the church, local parish and county councillors and the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, Mrs Bryony Gibson.

In her new role Dr Moran will be priest in charge of Mickley St George Church, St John’s at Stocksfield and St Peter’s at Bywell.

She was keen to get stuck into the role after coming from her previous post at St Mary’s, Monkseaton.

“I had come to the end of my curate there and this was mentioned to me and it sounded really interesting,” she explained. “When I came to visit the parishes in early September I got a really good feeling about them both.

“What is so interesting to me about these churches is that they are three beautiful churches but they are all kind of hidden.

“There is such a history here at Bywell – to think that for over 1,000 years people have come here to pray is amazing. And Mickley has a strong mining background, which means that also they’re very different.”

Dr Moran takes on the post after a 20-month vacancy in the parishes, since the retirement of the Rev. Bill Rigby.

She joins the churches at an exciting time, with Mickley St George about to embark on a project to replace their church roof.

Dr Moran’s new role has involved a move with her husband Julio to the vicarage on Meadowfield Road in Stocksfield.

She added: “The Church of England has a strap-line: ‘A Christian presence in every community’.

“That’s really important and involves looking at our life as a church community and how we think about each person’s call to serve the community they are in.

“One thing I’m looking forward to doing is getting to know people. I think initially there’s a lot of listening to do and then we will see where we go together from there.”