Patterdale’s St Patrick’s Church will bid farewell to its vicar later this month.
Morris Rodham is set to take early retirement, with his final service due to take place on Sunday January 22.
Mr Rodham took on the voluntary “house for service” post in 2019 and has relished serving the community. Mr Rodham said: “Judith and I have absolutely loved being here in Patterdale and serving this community.
“It’s a great place to live and work, and we have made many friendships. It’s been challenging at times, not least because of the COVID pandemic, but if even a few people have felt touched by the love of God during our short time of ministry here then we will be happy.”
Despite Mr Rodham’s love for the job, he admits that it has been difficult due to the pressures of having no income.
To help ease this pressure, the family has been running a bed and breakfast from the vicarage to help supplement their income.
“We have felt somewhat guilty about leaving so soon but hope people will understand our situation and the reasoning for our decision — but we are not going far away,” he added.
Mr Rodham is a man of many talents because he is a DJ and a qualified mountain leader, while running a portable appliance testing (PAT) business at the same time.
The PAT business will continue to operate as Mr Rodham and his wife Judith prepare to move from Patterdale to Penrith, but they are sure they will return to Patterdale when doing work.
During his time at St Patrick’s, Mr Rodham has been an integral part of the community. He was at the forefront of many initiatives, including efforts to get wi-fi for visitors in the church — which proved invaluable during the pandemic for viewing livestreams of weddings and funerals — and the Patterdale Ukrainian Relief Fund in collaboration with the parish council, which provided free holidays for Ukrainian refugees.
Rob Shephard, chairman of the parish council, said: “Morris has done a brilliant job during his time in Patterdale. He has continually gone above and beyond for the whole community, especially during the COVID pandemic.
“His departure leaves a big hole in our community but we wish him and Judith well and we’re glad they’re only moving to Penrith.”
Mr Rodham’s final service at St Patrick’s is on Sunday January 22 at 10.30am.
