On 10 July, Monsignor John Walsh celebrated his ruby jubilee into the priesthood.

Having been part of the Church from a young age, Fr John was ordained back in 1983 at St. Luke’s Church in Whiston.

After his ordination, Fr John worked in the military as a chaplain, before later becoming a parish priest at Our Lady of Compassion Church in Formby.

Reflecting on his 40 years in the priesthood, Fr John said he was always interested from a young age in joining the seminary.

“I was part of that generation that served on the altar,” he said.

“Which I did, from the age of about 10 in my parish near Manchester at the time, all the way through to the age of 16.

“So, I was close to the altar, I was close to the liturgy. I was close to a good priest. And I think that's where the first kindling’s really began.  I used to serve every Sunday sometimes more than once a week.”

After his ordination, Fr John then ended up in the RAF as a full-time chaplain. He had plenty of stories during his time there.

He said: “You moved from place to place, so I had several moves every two or three years. But as part of your commitments, you would be expected to go out to various places in the world where our service personnel were based.

“So, for me in the in the RAF, most of us were based in the Middle East during Operation Telic, which was the second wave of the Iraqi conflict.

“I have served in Iraq; I went to Qatar with the American forces. I went to Oman, and I went to the Falkland Islands. And then, because I was accompanying the heavy-duty aircraft, I went to the United States, to Norway, and to other parts of the world on one-or-two-day missions.”

Fr John fondly remembers converting someone whilst on a flight through the Middle East.

He added: “I remember going out going on what we call ‘to trail’, taking fast jets over to over to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia. We were flying over the Israeli and Egyptian desert.

“We flew over Mount Sinai and we flew over the Red Sea. I was on the flight deck, and I was able to explain to the flight crew, 'you've all probably all read or heard of the Bible; well, this is where it all happens, right here.'

“Mount Sinai, on that top of the mountain there is where Moses received the ten commandments. That's the Red Sea that was parted, that's the desert that where the Hebrew people wandered around. The flight brought it all alive, and one of the front pilots converted.

“They all began to realise the Bible wasn't just a child's story, it was real.

“That's an example of how accompaniments, being alongside people, explaining, and just being yourself can have an extraordinary effect.

“But for the most part, they're just grateful that you're close to them, you take an interest in them and that you're with them in the most difficult times as well as the best times.”

Looking ahead to the future, Fr John did not want to think too far ahead, and instead focus on making each day better than the last.

He said: “I think that's difficult to answer what is next for me. I don't know. I would say that all the priests can do is serve in the places that the archbishop’s put us, and be the best I can be to that community. The rest is in God's hands.

“It's cultivating that openness to the Lord, and what he wants.

“I don’t focus on the future. I think of today. I ask myself how can I be effective and faithful today? How can I do my best today? With all the struggles that life throws at us, how can I do my best just for today?

“Yesterday is gone. I've done my best today. I want to do my best tomorrow.”