Diocese of York / News & events / News

A York Vicar is packing up his vestments and his stethoscope on the 19th October after ten years working at a doctor and a priest.

The Revd Dr Steve Benford has worked as an anaesthetist at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, for two days a week at the same time as being Vicar of St Luke's Church in Burton Stone Lane.

He has been appointed full-time Vicar in the Parish of St Joseph the Worker, Northolt in north-west London.

Steve, 53, was a GP in New Zealand (where he met his wife Lorraine) and in Leicester before he was ordained while working full-time at the Friarage Hospital in 2000.

He served as Curate in Northallerton and Kirby Sigston before arriving at St Luke's in March 2004.

St Luke's Reader Martin Sheppard said, "Steve's dual role at St Luke's and the hospital has been a very creative bit of thinking - St Luke's has shared its Vicar with the chaplain's role at York Hospital in the past and that link with the healing professions has continued in Steve."

During the last decade Steve and Lorraine have thrown themselves into the worshipping life of St Luke's and its parish while their four children, Ashley, Dominic, Jessica and Justin have grown up and flown the vicarage.

Martin Sheppard added, "We will miss Steve's prayerfulness and commitment to the parish, and the welcome he and Lorraine have offered to everyone around them.

"Even though Steve is ending his 28-year career in medicine, we know him as a healer and a carer to his fingertips and he goes to Northolt with our thanks and our prayers."

Steve Benford's last Sunday at St Luke's is the 19th October, beginning with Parish Communion at 10.00am and ending with a celebratory 'Pimms and Hymns' evening open to all at 6.30pm to mark the feast day of the church's patron, St Luke.

Plans for Advent and Christmas are coming to the fore as St Luke's work and worship continues, led by its team of ministers, churchwardens and many other volunteers, while the process gets under way of finding a successor to Steve.