Single Handed

May 1957

South Yorkshire Times, May 4, 1957

Single-Handed

When the vicar of Conisbrough (the Rev. G. F. Braithwaite) was offered the living at Conisbrough 12 years ago. He was told that his normal staff should be two curates and a woman worker.

He is now on his own – with three churches to supervise and an increase of 3,000 in population since he came to Conisbrough.

In the parish magazine, Mr Braithwaite says: “this is not a one man job. Today it is not even a two-man job, when the Bishop offered me the benefice 12 years ago, he stated that the normal staff should be to curates and a woman worker. Since then, the parish has grown by another 3000 souls. All the more necessary is it, therefore, that the acquiring of two assistant curates should be kept in view.”

He says that the paying of Curates must be regarded as a first charge on parish funds.

“Too many parishes are concerned with the maintenance of buildings and repairs. These things have to be attended to but they should be taken in the stride of a worshipping and a systematically giving community and the bulk of funds and concern devoted to the things of first importance