By Jacquie Scott, Former Chairman of St Vincent’s Nursing Home
On Pentacost Sunday, Bishop Jim Curry visited St Vincent’s Nursing Home in Eastcote for a celebration of the 64th Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr Brian Reynolds. The event gave a heartfelt thanks for the devoted ministry of Fr Brian, whose 64 years as a diocesan priest have been marked by faithful service, both in active parish ministry and in retirement.
Fr Brian’s Ministry
Fr Brian was ordained at Westminster Cathedral on 24 May 1962 by Cardinal William Godfrey. He began his priestly ministry at St Alban’s, North Finchley, where he served four years, before moving to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George in Enfield, where he spent the next decade as a curate.
In 1976, Fr Brian was appointed Parish Priest of St Joseph’s, Bedwell, in Stevenage, and in 1981 joined with three neighbouring parishes to form the Stevenage Team Ministry Parish. In 1990, he moved to St Augustine’s, and finally was appointed to St Thomas More, Wheathampstead, in 2002, serving there for ten fruitful years until his retirement in 2012.
That same year, he celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination in the pre-reformation village church of St Helen’s, in the presence of two Catholic bishops and an Anglican bishop, a fitting tribute to his deep and enduring commitment to ecumenism.
Fr Brian has also been a key figure at St Albans Cathedral, the Shrine of Britain’s first saint and the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. The Cathedral is uniquely enriched by its ecumenical partnerships, hosting services for different Christian denominations, each led by its ecumenical chaplains. This reflects its vision of welcoming all as Christ, rooted in the Rule of St Benedict on which the Abbey was founded and beautifully echoed in the witness of St Alban himself, who welcomed a Christian priest into his home. Within this sacred setting, Fr Brian has celebrated Holy Mass in the Lady Chapel for 22 years, a ministry that has become both a cherished and prayerful sign of unity.
Retirement and Chaplaincy
Fr Brian retired to Hemel Hempstead in 2012 and he helped with needs in the locality in local parishes there until 2022. In 2023, he took up the role of Chaplain at St Vincent’s Nursing Home in Pinner. There, he continues to exercise his priestly ministry through the daily celebration of Mass, hearing of confessions, and the offering of pastoral care to residents who are sick or approaching the end of life. He is held in great affection within the home and is a treasured presence in its loving care for those most in need.
Alongside these many gifts, Fr Brian is also known for his strong devotion to St Joseph, whose faithful care for the Holy Family has long been an inspiration to him, and for his lifelong loyalty to Brentford Football Club, having first attended matches with his father in 1947 and remaining a faithful season ticket holder ever since.
St Vincent’s Nursing Home
St Vincent’s Nursing Home was officially opened by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor on 7 July 2006. It offers a modern, purpose-built home where residents are supported to live with as much independence as possible in a warm, welcoming, and caring environment, shaped by the values of St Vincent de Paul: compassion, respect, empathy, dignity, and advocacy. In Fr Brian’s words,” St Vincent’s cares for the most vulnerable members of the Body of Christ today” .
Photo: Elizabeth Horsbrough Chris Horsbrough (Chairman St Vincent’s Nursing Home Pinner). Rev John Deehan (past Chairman SVNH) Rev Brian Reynolds Bernie Curtis George Curtis, Jacquie Scott ( past Chairman SVNH)
