New Navy chaplain

Fr Ged Lavender, a priest of Hexham and Newcastle diocese and a chaplain to the Royal Navy since 1975. has been appointed as the new Principal Catholic Chaplain for the Navy.
Fr Lavender, at present based in Plymouth, will be responsible for co-ordinating the chaplains and chaplains' assistants and for representing the Catholic community within the Royal Navy.
The new head chaplain said "I hope to continue and pursue the ecumenical friendships among the navy Chaplains." He takes up his appointment on May 6 and succeeds Mgr Ronald Brown who has been principal chaplain since 1 984.
Fr Lavender was born at Easington Colliery, County Durham and attended Ushaw College where he completed his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on March 2, 1969, and appointed as assistant priest in St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle Upon Tyne. In 1975 he was appointed as a chaplain to the Royal Navy and since then he has served at Rosyth in Scotland and in the Portsmouth and Plymouth areas.