A CATHOLIC priest and his Grays and Stifford parishes celebrated his Ruby Jubilee of priestly ordination recently.

Monsignor George Stokes, who grew up in Grays and has been a resident priest at St Thomas of Canterbury R.C. Church, since 2008, gathered with 300 other people to cut the cake on 40 years’ work as a priest.

Bishop Emeritus Thomas McMahon was also on hand to praise the Monsignor’s “considerable” work in Catholic education in the diocese over 35 years, after which he was presented with a Papal Blessing and a cheque from both churches.

Around 300 people, including parishioners from St Peter’s R.C. Church in Stifford Clays, attended a buffet lunch, that included two parishioner-made cakes.