(Source: White Fathers & White Sisters magazine)

Fr Joseph Laane, the first Parish Priest at Heston (1929 - 1931)

This photo was sent to the WF/WS magazine by Mrs Barbara Sexton of Taunton, Somerset.
She wrote: "We have always been very close to the White Fathers, as we were, with our parents,
the first parishioners at the house where the first Mass was said at Heston, Middlesex."

Fr Joseph Laane, from Holland, was no stranger to new ventures. Following his first arrival in
Uganda in 1895, he started many parishes. He returned to Europe and founded the
White Fathers' community and parish at Heston in 1928. he remained there for two years
before returning to Uganda, where he died 9th September 1941.

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(Source : "Leaves from a White father's Diary",c/o Tony Smyth and John & Margaret Morton)

Fr A E Howell WF, parish priest from January 1931 to September 1935
(See Page 37 of the HISTORIES section for an account of his travels in Africa)

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Bishop Owen McCoy, M. Afr. (Bishop Emeritus of Oyo)

The following is taken from a newspaper cutting, dated some time in July 1988 — kindly supplied by Andrew Rampling, a parishioner at Heston:

Bishop Owen McCoy WF, the first Bishop of Oyo, Nigeria, died suddenly in London last week, aged 81. He was about to celebrate his Silver Jubilee as Bishop.

Born at West Derby, Liverpool, he entered the White Fathers in 1926 and was ordained in 1933.

His first appointment was to the White Fathers' parish at Heston, west London. In 1937 he was sent to the missions in northern Gold Coast (now Ghana). Six years later he was posted to Western Nigeria where, in 1949, a new mission territory was carved out by the Vatican department for missions (Propaganda Fide), and was entrusted to the White Fathers. It comprised two-thirds of the Oyo Province of Nigeria and was designated by Rome asa Prefecture, the first stage in the development of a new mission territory. Fr McCoy was appointed by Rome as its ecclesiastical superior.

At that time the new Prefecture, one-and-a-quarter times the size of Wales, had only four mission stations and a total of 14,000 Catholics in a population of upwards of four million. By 1963 things had developed so well that the Prefecture was made into a diocese, with Bishop McCoy as its first bishop.

Under Bishop McCoy, new mission stations were founded, hospitals and rural clinics, mothercrafts and women's social training centres were opened as well as a wide range of boys' and girls' schools, vocational training units, agricultural settlements and self-help projects.

He opened a junior seminary with 125 places for Nigerian students for the priesthood. Aware that the Church would only take permanent roots if there was eventually an African bishop, in 1971 he obtained from Rome the nomination of an auxiliary bishop, who, however, was taken from him to be Bishop of Lagos two years later. But a second Nigerian auxiliary succeeded Bishop McCoy in 1973.

Returning to England that year, Bishop McCoy offered his services in several dioceses until his retirement to White Fathers' communities in 1982, first at Rutherglen, Glasgow, and latterly at Ealing, West London. He was buried at the White Fathers' corner, Kensal Rise Cemetery, London.

Information gleaned from the Catholic Hierarchy website

Bishop McCoy was parish priest at Heston from September 1935 to August 1937.
He was a priest for 55 years and a bishop for 25 years.


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(Source: White Fathers & White Sisters magazine — lent by Mike Byrne)

Fr Thomas Tye, Parish Priest at Heston (1937 - 1945)

Father Tye spent his first 8 years as a priest at Heston parish for about 8 years,
covering the whole of the war period, in fact. When I saw this photo of him and
read the accompanying article, it dawned on me that I was probably looking
at the man who baptized me in 1942. A quick check in my 'archives' showed it to be true.

Click here to read "Meet Fr. Thomas Tye, WF "


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Fr John Maguire



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(Source: White Fathers & White Sisters magazine — lent by Mike Mearns)

Bishop Francis Walsh, Parish Priest at Heston (1948 - 1951)
whose biography can be read on Page 10 of the Histories section.

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(Source: Mrs Sheila Steggal, née Tolman) Fr Antony Hames, Parish Priest at Heston (1951 - 1957) One of my personal favourites.For further information, read Fr Hames's entry on Page 4 of the Obituaries Section (or click here) Peter Briody writes : "I knew Fr Hames from the date of his appointment as Parish Priest at Heston up to September 1953 when I departed for St Columbas as a student. Father, later Bishop Wash was Fr. Hames's predecessor and a hard act to follow, because he was idolised by all the parishoners . Fr. Hames, however, was in every respect a worthy follower and was indeed very popular (as said in hisobituary) - mainly because he was the perfect gentleman and an active business-like parish priest. He was also a doer: I remember how he used to put a belt around his habit, so that he could hammer and paint things or do repairs on the huge chicken run behind the parish hall. He took me to London in the Summer of 1954 to be innoculated before going to visit my parents in Uganda. On the way back he decided we should go see a film ( The "Malvary Queen" ). I thought that was the greatest thing since sliced bread - going to the "flicks" with the parish priest ! It was the only time I ever saw him relax and do nothing - otherwise, he was always active . . . John and paul Tait will probably be able to tell you more. Incidently, I think there is a parish priest missing from the list at Heston . I seem to remember a Father Lee being there before Fr. Walsh in 1948 or thereabouts."

(Source: Mrs Sheila Steggal, née Tolman)

Fr Lawrence Jones WF and Fr Peter Moore

This was probably taken during at the time when the parish
was handed over to the diocese in 1960.
Fr Jones was the last White Father to act as parish priest at Heston
(from November 1957 to February 1960)

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(Source: An article by Eddie Barnes in the Scottish Catholic Observer, July 2000 - sent in by Eugene MacBride)

Fr Stevie Collins
Fr Collins was based at Heston for a period during the fifties, as I recall—or was a very regular visitor.
A veteran of over 40 years missionary work in Uganda, he is now officially retired (believe that if you will)
and living in Ealing. Click here to read the article in which this photo featured.

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(Source: White Fathers & White Sisters magazine — lent by Mike Mearns)

Fr Arthur Prentice—taken in 1962 when he was 90.
The caption read: "Ordained in 1903, he was appointed to Uganda the following year.
He travelled to Rome for the beatification of the Martyrs of Uganda in 1921 and then
spent 6 years teaching at The Priory and the seminary of Philosophy, returning to Uganda in 1927."

People were very fond of Fr Prentice, who joined Heston parish at the age of 79 in 1951.
He was incredibly old to us altar-servers, of course ; I doubt if any of us had met anyone
of that age before. He said Mass up in 'the choir'—a second floor over the entrance to the church—
where there was a little altar which seemed to have been his, alone.

When time permits, more details of his life will be provided. Did you know, for example, that
Arthur was a convert ?

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When they were student priests: Left : Fr Frank Briody Right : Fr Joseph Ryce

These are the only photos I have at the moment, I'm afraid. I think that these two priests
served at the parish during the fifties. Fr Briody was Superior at Heston and later went on to take
the role of Provincial Treasurer.

Have you got some better pictures to replace these, please ?

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(Source : Celiar, sister of Fr Kevin Wiseman)
Fr Bernard Gaffney WF, as military chaplain
— one of the priests who helped run the parish during Fr Maguire's illness

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(Source: White Fathers & White Sisters magazine)

Sister Alice Lynch WS - or "Sister St Patrick" as most of us knew her
If you read the tribute to Sister St Patrick (on Page 4 of the Obituaries section)
you'll probably agree with all the nice things said about her — whether you
knew her well or not. Although I was only a young lad when she was at Heston convent
and she was Mother Superior, she was always very pleasant to me and I remember
that she was held in affection by my family. This photo of her is immediately recognisable :
see the kind smile and the twinkle in her eye ?

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(Source: Sr Mary Potts)

Sister Mary Potts WS - or "Sister St Mary of Walsingam" as you may have known her
This photo of Sr Mary was taken when she was resident at Blacklion in 1954/55 — only a short while
after a long spell at the White Sisters' convent at Heston, where, at the age of 20, she was professed.
Mary nows lives in retirement near Newquay, Cornwall, but maintains very clear memories of her time there.

She has kindly made available a collection of photos to us and you can view these by clicking here.



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