MADAM, Your feature by Ms O'Mahony on our 'Biking Deacon' was a lovely, enthusiastic appreciation of a new multifaceted minister in our Catholic church in Ross, but it did scant justice to a number of recent incumbents.

When I retired here 13 years ago Canon Chidgey was in charge. He was a man of great spirituality, in advanced years. He was renowned for his visiting of the sick, elderly and house-bound in their homes. He preached wonderfully thoughtful sermons in a declamatory rolling Welsh lilt. Sunday Mass-goers numbered about 200. He was succeeded by Fr Richard, a Benedictine from Belmont Abbey. Because of the shortage of priests, common to all Christian religions at the moment, Ross had to share him with Ledbury. But he was only just turned 40 and filled with enormous energy.

It was he who brought us more out of the ghetto, promoted Outreach activities and found a way of presenting the beauty of St Frances of Rome's church, the Catholic community's physical centre of its contribution to Ross, more effectively to the town. He started many initiatives, including children's catechetical groups, a youth section, a weekly bulletin and quarterly magazine, weekdays coffee club, and similar modern initiatives. Sunday Mass-going still approaches 200, but the profile is more youthful.

Our very new priest Fr Adrian Wiltshire takes over responsibility for pastoral care of his Ross & Ledbury flocks (no parish priest ever relinquishes that care). The congregation numbers do not seem to diminish. When our priests are so stretched it is wonderful to have had newcomers as experienced, committed, multi-talented and enthusiastic as Deacon David and his wife, Christine, join our community just a couple of years ago.

They are certainly God's gift to Ross, but then God has a tradition of being generous with His gifts here.

Michael Bushell, Sellack