OR Fr Simon Giles (60)
The Ratcliffian Association extends its heartfelt felicitations to Fr. Giles on this momentous occasion.
Old Ratcliffian Paul Rudd (60) has conveyed to the Ratcliffian Association that on the 4th of May 2024, OR Fr. Simon Giles (60) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood, which took place in Porta Latina, Rome in 1974.
Mr Rudd went on to tell us, “When I was at Ratcliffe, 1955-1960, Simon Giles was one of my best friends. He told me he wanted to join the Rosminians immediately when he left, and I made a promise that I would attend his Ordination wherever that might be.
Following the birth of my third child Jacob, on 8 March 1974. A letter arrived from Simon to tell us he was to be ordained in Rome on 4 May 1974. We wanted to go of course but my wife Valda preferred not to fly, so we got a nurse in to look after the lad, took the London Paris Express and then the Paris Rome Express.
He was ordained by an American Cardinal. All his family were there, and his first Mass was in a shanty town on the outskirts of Rome, in a church founded by Mother Teresa. A very good time was had by all.”
Fr. Simon Giles’s remarkable half-century of service is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his faith. The Ratcliffian Association extends its heartfelt felicitations to Fr. Giles on this momentous occasion.
