PAUL Fillery will be ordained priest in the Crediton Benefice during the 9.30am service at Crediton Parish Church on Sunday, September 30.

Bishop Bob, the Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Rev Bob Evens, will be conducting the service and the Rural Dean, The Rev Douglas Dettmer, will be preaching.

It will be Bishop Bob's last service at Holy Cross as he will be retiring the following week.

Sandford Parochial Church Council has decided to cancel the 9.30am service at St Swithun's on that day, although there will be a said Holy Communion service at 8am instead. 

The council has also begun a collection to buy Paul a silver pyx (for carrying around reserved sacrament for home communions) as a gift to mark the occasion.

Paul has been an osteopath for 28 years, working in Exeter, but recently opened a clinic in premises just off Crediton High Street.

His wife Tracey is practice manager.

They spent seven busy years working at a practice in Heavitree, Exeter, during which time Paul was accepted for training as a self-supporting minister in the Anglican church.

After three years of part-time training Paul was ordained at Exeter Cathedral, last September.

The couple moved to Sandford in 2010 and Paul feels that he is very fortunate to be the self-supporting curate at the Holy Cross Church, Crediton, where he works on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Paul explained: "We are really glad to have moved our practice to Crediton and we are looking forward to becoming part of the hard working business community in the town.

"Many of my patients from Exeter are coming here for treatment and I hope this will introduce a new group of people to the wonderfully diverse range of shops, cafes and restaurants that exist in Crediton."

Although the clinic is off to a very busy start Paul and Tracey are happy to welcome new patients.