Fr Patrick Allsop
Fr Patrick Allsop was born in Yorkshire and grew up in Norfolk. After reading History at Cambridge, he taught briefly at Barrow-in-Furness Boys’ Grammar School. He read Theology at Oxford and was ordained as an Anglican priest. He returned to Barrow for three very happy years as Assistant Priest in the parish of St Matthew and St Francis. Many boys he had taught were members of his youth club. He acquired a lasting enthusiasm for walking the Lake District fells.
He moved to be Assistant Chaplain at Eton College, where he also taught theology. From there he was appointed Fourth Master, Chaplain and Head of Theology and Philosophy at King’s School, Rochester. There he was involved in staff appointments, running a stall at the Kent Show and developing the School’s public profile. |
He was also Chief Examiner for the Christian Theology A Level syllabus which was developed to encourage Catholic schools to adopt more academic theology and ethics in their Sixth Forms. This led to frequent visits to Catholic schools and dioceses across the country. He was also Chief Examiner of the Oxford and Cambridge A Level in Religious Studies and an examiner for the Cambridge Diploma in Religious Studies.
His last appointment before retiring from the Anglican priesthood was Chaplain and Head of Theology at St Paul’s School in Barnes. This led to him appearing as the founder, John Colet, on a float at the Lord Mayor’s Show.
He was then received into the Catholic Church and, after discernment, sent to Allen Hall for a year’s study of Catholic theology. He was sent on to Borehamwood, where he was successively seminarian, deacon and Assistant Priest after his ordination to the priesthood by Cardinal Nicholls in January 2018. Fr Patrick was appointed parish priest of the Immaculate Heart of Mary & St Dominic, Homerton, in September 2018, following Fr Tony Doyle. As he was attached to Bow parish during his year at Allen Hall, this was a very happy return to the East End.
His last appointment before retiring from the Anglican priesthood was Chaplain and Head of Theology at St Paul’s School in Barnes. This led to him appearing as the founder, John Colet, on a float at the Lord Mayor’s Show.
He was then received into the Catholic Church and, after discernment, sent to Allen Hall for a year’s study of Catholic theology. He was sent on to Borehamwood, where he was successively seminarian, deacon and Assistant Priest after his ordination to the priesthood by Cardinal Nicholls in January 2018. Fr Patrick was appointed parish priest of the Immaculate Heart of Mary & St Dominic, Homerton, in September 2018, following Fr Tony Doyle. As he was attached to Bow parish during his year at Allen Hall, this was a very happy return to the East End.