Fr Christopher Byron, priest of the Archdiocese of Southwark, was born on August 2,1916. He died on March 30,2006, aged 89.
Christopher Byron was born in Southsea, Hampshire. He, was educated at Westminster School and Merton College, Oxford. Prior to ordination as an Anglican priest he worked as a journalist on the Daily Mirror and then as secretary to the principal of Pusey House, Oxford.
He trained for the ministry at St Stephen's House, Oxford, and was ordained deacon in 1940 and priest on September 20, 1941, in Cardiff. After many decades of service in the Church of England, he retired in 1983.
In 1962 he married Margaret Rowlands in Rhosymedre, Wales, and had two daughters, Caroline and Annabel. Both Margaret and Christopher were received into the Catholic Church on March 7, 1985, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Simon Stock in Kensington, West London.
Following the death of his wife on July 13, 1996, Christopher was accepted for formation as a Catholic priest. He was ordained priest on April 4,1998, at Our Lady of Pity and St Simon Stock in Putney, South London, and his first appointment was to that parish. In 2002 he was appointed chaplain to the Sacred Heart Convent at Duchesne House, Roehampton, south-west London as well as continuing as assistant priest at Putney.
He retired in October 2004 to St Peter's, Meadow Road, in Vauxhall, south London, where he died. Fr Byron was enthusiastic about his priesthood to the very end.