Meet the Team

Father Andrew Cole was born and brought up in Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire. He read theology at the University of Birmingham, after which he worked as warden of Newman House, the University’s Catholic chaplaincy, for a year before training for the priesthood in the Venerable English College in Rome, where he studied philosophy and theology in the Pontifical Gregorian University.

He was ordained deacon on 12th July 2000 in the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, in Albano, just south of Rome, and to the priesthood on 4th August 2001 in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea. His first years in ministry were in the Diocese of Menevia, in south-west Wales, where he worked in Swansea, Llanelli and Aberystwyth. He returned to Rome in September 2005 to study canon law in the Gregorian, this time living in the Pontifical Beda College, just over the road from the Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls, where his favourite Apostle, St Paul, is reputedly buried.

In September 2010, he came to the Diocese of Nottingham, and in 2011 he was appointed Catholic Chaplain to the University of Nottingham and Private Secretary to the Bishop of Nottingham. On 11th January 2017, he was appointed parish priest of the Parish of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity, Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham, and is privileged to be parish priest of our large, diverse & wonderful parish.

In his spare time, he enjoys walking along the prom at Cleethorpes, Strictly Come Dancing, films, music, current affairs, going to the gym, riding one of his two bikes & visiting Britain’s national heritage.

My vocation to become a permanent Deacon was, I believe, planted within me from a very early age. When I consider the Christian names that my mother gave me, I have two patron saints, St Stephen and St Francis of Assisi who both became deacons. The Greek word diakonia, which the word diaconate comes from means in once sense ‘service amongst others’.

From the age of 8-9 years old I always wanted to serve others, so I would regularly help the elderly and housebound people in my neighbourhood. This came from my character trait of putting other people before myself. This has continued throughout my life and when, as a deacon, I take communion to the sick and housebound, when I baptise babies and young children, officiate at a wedding or conduct a funeral service I am being of service to all those people. I am doing it in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the name of our Church and community. I want to evangelise and lead people to a closer relationship with the Lord; that is why when I was confirmed I took the confirmation name Andrew, because St Andrew was one of the first people to lead others to Jesus.

The above makes me sound quite ‘holy’. I am not. I am a sinner in need of the mercy and love of God, as my family can attest to! My family being: my wife Sue, my sons Andrew and Lewis, my daughter-in-law Stephanie, my grandson Oliver…oh, and my pet dog, Bitsie. These I have listed at the end of this piece but in fact, they come above anyone else, but just behind God.

I am a Sister of St Joseph of Peace, a Congregation founded in 1884 whose charism is peace through justice. We continue to hear God’s call to be people of non-violence, to be community for mission, to respect the dignity of all persons, to stand in solidarity and act in justice with marginalised people, and to deepen our spirituality of peace regarding care of creation. I entered the congregation in 1969, made my novitiate in 1971 and made final vows in 1979. In the intervening years I trained as a nurse and then later as a midwife. The opportunity then came for me to serve in Cameroon, in west Africa, which I did for five years. On returning to England I worked and trained as a neonatal nurse in Nottingham. After many years in various roles within the neonatal service I retired from nursing. Then came a new adventure to serve God’s people here in North East Lincolnshire, which is a joy and a privilege.

For more information about the order, visit csjp.org

Father Andrew Cole - Parish Priest

Deacon Stephen Durkin

Sister Ann Helen Byrne

Parish Administration

Parish Communications

Parish Safeguarding Representatives