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Father Bob Boyle
NewVicar at St Saviours and St Clements Interview by Steph Woolvin
THERE’S A NEW VICAR IN TOWN. Father Bob Boyle has arrived straight from the Isle of Man to help Father Will run St Saviours and St Clements. Originally from Derby, he has a strong northern accent, a love of the Beatles and a no nonsense attitude. Steph Woolvin went to meet him….
Bob never thought he would become a vicar and in fact, didn’t until he was in his 50s. His family were not religious and he didn’t get taken to church as a child. It all began when he was quite young though, at the tender age of eight: “a group of us boys used to play outside together. One evening a week they would disappear to choir practice. Not wanting to be left out I went along one week and slowly but surely became involved in different aspects of the church in my spare time. Over the years I held most lay positions from altar server to churchwarden and sunday school teacher.” During this time a couple of people said Bob should consider being a vicar, but he wasn’t convinced he was right for the job and he was focussed on his career as a railway engineer at the Locomotive Works in Derby. He was made redundant in 1996 and spent six years at Rolls Royce where he helped manufacture aeroplane engines. Along the way he’s been involved in the trade union movement and worked as a kitchen porter in a hospital! It was when Bob spent time in a monastic
community in France that he was finally convinced that he was meant to be a vicar: “I was with a community of religious people and a priest from Surrey, (or maybe sussex, I can’t quite remember), said to me ‘have you had the Call?’ I said no and he said ‘it will come’. I thought if others around me can recognise something in me is right for the job - maybe I should think more seriously about this.” Whilst still working he completed a part-time course in Theology and Pastoral Studies at Nottingham university and was ordained in 2000. He worked alongside vicars at two churches in Derby then in 2008 moved to Paignton as a full-time priest with
responsibility for St. Boniface Church on the Foxhole Estate. He spent five years in Devon before moving to be the vicar of St. Matthew’s Church in Douglas on the Isle of Man in November 2013. It was when he was on the island that he caught wind of the Dartmouth job. Father Bob openly admits this is a semi retirement
job for him as he only works three days a week helping Father Will with weddings, funerals and baptisms as well as the day to day running of the churches. He and his wife Brigid live in one of the new Southford school rooms apartments and he says it’s a lovely place to settle down: “It’s a joy to hear the children when they are outside playing. They have got a great facility there and have lots of fun in their garden. We love the apartment and everyone has been so welcoming. Even whilst the furniture van was pulling up we were handed hampers, flowers and cards from people in the congregation. We were very touched.” Bob, who has a penchant for 60s music (especially
the Beatles), hopes to make a difference to the pastoral care side of things whilst working here in Dartmouth. He would like to set up a bigger team of people who can visit more of those who are sick, bereaved or just can’t make it to church. He is also interested in doing regular care home visits. Outside of work he is eager to start exploring the coastal path with Brigid. The pair are keen walkers and aren’t afraid of a few hills. The couple have been married for 39 years and have two grown up children – Rebecca, who lives in Derby and Thomas who lives in Somerset. They also have a ten-year-old grandson called Tobie who has already been to visit, eager to see his grandparents’ new town centre pad. •
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