News from Fr. Tony Sultana SDB

This last autumn, a Salesian priest well-known in our Diocese, Fr. Tony Sultana SDB, retired after 28 years as parish priest of Our Lady and St Dominic, Farnborough. He is now living not too far away in the Salesian Community House. Fr. Tony wrote me a nice email the other day in which he said it had been “a privilege working for 32 years in the Diocese. First for four years at Our Lady Help of Christians as assistant parish-priest and then for 28 years as parish priest for Our Lady of Lourdes and after the merger with St Dominic Savio in 2003, as parish-priest of Our Lady and St Dominic.” Bishop Crispian appointed him parish priest in 1995, taking over from the Benedictines of Farnborough Abbey who had withdrawn from the parish. “I have also had the opportunity to work as part-time school chaplain at All Hallows, from 1993 to 1996 and visiting priest at Farnborough Hill from 1992 to 2022. I was governor at St Patrick’s for 3 years and at St Bernadette’s for 25 years, besides being priest responsible for St. Bernadette’s for 28 years.” Fr. Tony found things difficult after COVID and over the last two years, his mobility problems worsened. He had a bad fall in church during the Maundy Thursday Mass and so decided it was time to move on. “Happily Fr Provincial found a priest in Fr Anthony Lobo SDB.”

On all our behalf, I express our great gratitude to Fr. Tony for his years of generous service, and prayers for his good health and strength in retirement. “I thank God for the opportunity to work for so many years as a priest in the Diocese. I promise my prayers for you and the Portsmouth Diocese and ask for your blessing.” Let us continue to remember him our prayers. His ministry will continue to be greatly appreciated, and we will miss his Maltese smile!