Fr Michael Davies was born in 1940 in Bushey, Hertfordshire.. He was thee eldest of six and grew up in Bath. After the war years, due to his father’s work they moved around the country. After school he went to Oxford to study Maths but changed his mind and studies music. He had a good singing voice and he also played the piano, viola and violin. He returned to Bath to teach at King Edwards school which he attended as s chid. It was during this time that he became a Catholic; in 1966 he was accepted to study for the priesthood and was sent to Paris. He as ordained in June 1971. In his 42 years of active ministry, he worked in various parishes in the diocese. Without a priest to send to Tetbury, Bishop Declan asked Fr Michael, Parish Priest of St Peter’s Church in Cirencester to become our parish priest too. It was made clear from the beginning we are two independent parishes with its own parish committees, finances etc. We gave him A warm welcome at his induction concelebrated Mass; on behalf of the parish, Elaine welcomed him stating about his love and knowledge of music. She continued to say how he taught her music at school; his face showed both surprise and shock! About two years later Fr Michael, began to feel unwell; Elaine began to worry but was unsure who to contact with her concern. Fr Michael was due to go on holiday; after Mass on the Wednesday before, Elaine shared her concern with him, and he assured her that she and parishioners would notice a difference on his return. Unfortunately, Fr Michael never returned as our parish priest but took early retirement on health grounds. Fr Pat O’Donovan who was retired and living back in Ireland came in the interim, whilst we had no parish priest. As Fr Michael’s health deteriorated he moved in with his sister in the north; sadly, he passed away in September 2019. His funeral was where his sister lived; Bishop Declan and a number of diocesan priests concelebrated a memorial Mass in St John’s Bath which was the last parish he had lived in here in the Diocese of Clifton.

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