Reverend aims to strike a chord with congregation

A rock 'n' roll loving Reverend is hoping to hit the right note with his new congregation in his seaside parish.

Known as the Rockin' Rev, the Reverend David Croucher moved to Felixstowe, Suffolk with his wife, Chris, in July and was recently announced as the new deacon of St Felix Catholic Church.

Croucher said people often question how well the dog collar and guitar go together, however he has played at care homes, monthly folk masses and had a regular slot at a local pub.

He said: "It's quite funny because people are often shocked when I tell them I am an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church."

Croucher, who was born in South Wales, first picked up a guitar in the 1960s after being inspired by his "favourite band ever", The Shadows.

As a teenager he built his own guitar out of pieces of wood. It was not until he had finished his O-Levels that his Dad took him to Cardiff to get a proper guitar for £35, which took two years to pay off.

He has played in numerous bands including a school band, and, in the 1990s, he played as part of The Windfalls in Ipswich.

However, it was not until he was 45 and living on the Isle of Wight that he had his calling to the church and was ordained at Portsmouth Cathedral in 2004.

He was working as a pharmacist at the time, but started playing the guitar "for folk things around Ventnor and people started to come and listen."

He added: "The parish priest there said to me, 'David how old are you?', I said 45. He said 'If you don't get ordained by the time you're 50 that's going to be too late'."

While he has not yet introduced his new congregation to his talents, he said he had previously played a set of songs by The Shadows at his former parish in Diss, in Norfolk.

Despite undergoing two surgeries for a brain tumour, he has no plans on stepping down.

He said: "I will continue until the Lord calls me. My retirement will be when they close the coffin lid over me."

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