The Catholic community in Skipton and Threshfield has a new parish priest.

Bradford-born Mgr Andrew Summersgill will oversee St Stephen’s Church, Skipton, and St Margaret Clitherow, Threshfield.

It is a far cry from his last job, which was organising the Pope’s visit to Britain in the autumn.

“I was delighted when Bishop Arthur Roche appointed me to St Stephen’s following Father Peter Dawber who is sadly retiring early due to ill health,” said Mgr Summersgill. “I have good memories of many visits to Skipton and Threshfield.

“There’s an exciting future ahead of the Catholic Church in this area – there are so many possibilities available to us especially with a thriving school, steady numbers of baptisms and committed communities at St Stephen’s and St Margaret Clitherow.

“Clearly we need to consider very carefully how we use the historic patrimony we have received from previous generations.

“I am sure we will do so with prayer, reflection and the co-operation and support of the whole of the local community.”

Fluent in Italian, Mgr Summmersgill trained for the priesthood at the Venerable English College, Rome, in 1980 and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University, gaining degrees in philosophy, theology and canon (church) law.

He was ordained on September 7 1986 at St Clare’s, Bradford, and returned to Rome to complete his studies.

At the beginning of 1989, he returned to the UK and was appointed assistant priest in the Parish of St Theresa, Crossgates.

Twenty months later he became secretary to the Bishop of Leeds, Bishop David Konstant, and served as chancellor and judicial vicar of the diocese. During 2000, he accompanied Bishop Konstant when he visited every one of the then 120 or so parishes in the diocese.

In March 2001 he was elected as the general secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and served as company secretary of the Catholic Trust for England and Wales. He continued his duties until November 2009 when he was appointed co-ordinator of the Papal visit to the UK of Pope Benedict XVI.

“During that period I worked closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Royal Household, the Vatican, the Church of England, and many other partners to prepare the Holy Father’s State Visit,” he said.

“Since then I have worked with producers to produce a DVD of the visit as well as winding up the financial and organisational arrangements for what proved to be a historic visit.”