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Thank you for making us welcome when we moved here; for seeing our children through Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation; and for the fantastic balance of serious sermons that made all the family really think, coupled with the very human side of just being able to sit and watch the football.
Rest in Peace,
Jo and Steve Taylor

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Father Michael - a lovely kind, caring, gentle man who gave his time so generously to the Godalming Parish for so many years. An inspiration to us all. We were lucky to have benefitted from his humanity, humility & wisdom. Maggie & Tim

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Dear Father Michael, thank you for simply being the best Parish Priest any parishioner could hope for when my children were growing up. You inspired them immensely & your kind, humble, fun nature helped set them on their faith journey's path in life. And it wasn't just our children, you also took such good care of all of us grown-ups too!

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Dear Father Michael, thank you for simply being the best Parish Priest any parishioner could hope for when my children were growing up. You inspired them immensely & your kind, humble, fun nature helped set them on their faith journey's path in life. And it wasn't just our children, you also took such good care of all of us grown-ups too!

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May you now rest in the certain love & peace of our Lord, knowing that your work here is now done. With love from Jude, James, Will & Rosie Spicer

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Baptism of our kids at St Edmund's Church.

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Thank you Fr Michael for your kindness and your exemplary service to the Parish.
- The Calí family

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Hilary and I remember Fr Michael with deep gratitude in our hearts  for his devoted service to our Parish of Godalming for over 20 years . Among his great qualities were deep Pastoral care, generosity of spirit ,humility, humour , courage in adversity, and a special ability to touch our hearts
He was hugely encouraging of lay initiatives in the Parish including Alpha , The Mission ,Seminars on the Holy Spirit and in the words of Pope Francis  'bandaging the wounded ',.-a really unique shepherd of the flock .
He said ,' we are called to be transfigured in to the glory of God ' We are sure that he is heading for such glory
Richard

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Fr Michael, so many wonderful memories, especially all those annual summer holidays with the family. You were always such good company. You are very much in our thoughts and prayers. God bless and may you rest in peace. Michael Tate

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Fr Michael - at close range! (photo courtesy of Sue Baldwin)

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Happy days visiting Fr Michael - with parishioners Margaret McClinton and Freda Apark (photo courtesy of Sue Baldwin)

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Thank you Fr Michael for all you did for the parish over the years. You'll forever be in our thoughts and prayers,
Michael and Victoria Brodbin

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It was with deep sadness and sorrow that I heard of the passing of Fr. Michael, a much loved priest.  I had known him since childhood in Merrow.  Fr. Michael what can I say about you?   YOU WERE ONE IN A MILLION.
May you rest in peace and rise in glory.
Alan Apark

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Dear Father Michael, Thank you for your many years of service to the Church. The Polish community owes so much to you for the years when we could peacefully come together for Mass in the church of St Joseph's in Milford. At Christmas time, when the parish need for parking was so great that the Christmas liturgies had to be celebrated in Milford, on several occasions you made the church of St Edmund's in Godalming available to the Polish community. We always felt welcomed by your quiet gentleness, your patience and your ready smile. With your friendly, fatherly support  priests appointed by the Polish Catholic Mission were able to stay and look after the needs of the Polish War veterans and their families and the young parishioners growing up around them, later to be joined by more families  arriving from Poland. Not many parishioners were aware of your knowledge and passionate love of Church music especially that of Johann  Sebastian Bach. You encouraged many parish apostolates, the work of the SVP and the Knights of Saint Columba, who in turn took care to support the extensive involvement in pro-life work of other parisioners, Life Sunday appeals, pro-life street witness and vigils outside abortion clinics aimed at encouraging mothers to avail themselves of help and support offered to save their babies. Your devotion to Our Lady enabled parish pilgrimages to her shrines. You supported the wonderful local prayer groups, the recitation of the Rosary in church every Friday. In your quiet prayeful way you reached out to non-Catholics, receiving a notable number into the Catholic Church. You encouraged parish involvement in Alpha and Post-Alpha courses including at times the catholic  selection of speakers. You encouraged parishioners to get involved in the great productions of Nativity plays at Wintershall, then the Passion plays also on Guilford High Street and Trafalgar Square culmiating after the year 2000 in the important Life of Christ performances at Wintershall which have drawn great crowds for many years. Thank you Father Michael for bearing your crosses so patiently and for all your kind pastoral care.
Please continue to pray for us all.
The Klepacki Family

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Fr Michael RIP

Thank you for your 22 years of service to our Parish my father enjoyed being Sacristan to you in the early days and indeed you were there to celebrate the good times and to help and support us during the dark times.  We shared a great deal with you; your ready wit and your amazing homilies.  My late husband Rob shared your passion for Cricket and Rugby and your ongoing interest in the John Fisher School where he taught and where you were ordained a priest.  You will be sadly missed.

The Gilmour Family

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How we will always remember you. From being with us at masses at St Edmunds School, with us for First Holy Communions and Sunday masses.  Greeting us after Mass outside St Josephs Church. Always a kind word to say and a smile.
Our thoughts and prayers. The Bogawski family.

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My memory of Fr. Michael goes back a long time.  We first met him when we moved to Merrow where he had begun his priesthood. He received my late husband and I into the church and we were all confirmed.  We renewed our marriage vows on our 25th wedding anniversary with Fr. Michael.  He was a joy to be with with his love of God and understanding of people. It was a coincidence when I moved to High Croft, that he moved there a short time afterwards.  I know everybody enjoyed his company at High Croft and he will surely be missed by us all.
God Bless you Fr. Michael, and may you rest in peace.
Freda Apark

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Dear Fr Michael, my family and I have such warm memories of you, especially our visits to Arundel for a cricket match which was rained off - I don't think they managed to complete an over - and another outing to Guildford when the weather was much more clement!  Rest in peace.  Susan and family

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Dear Fr Michael, my family and I have such warm memories of you, especially our visits to Arundel for a cricket match which was rained off - I don't think they managed to complete an over - and another outing to Guildford when the weather was much more clement!  Rest in peace.  Susan and family

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Fr. Michael, we have so many fond memories of our visits and chats with you at High Croft. You were such a lovely down to earth person, so kind, funny, and always up for a laugh.  A great man and an inspiring  priest, who always made time for everyone, has gone to God.  Your good deeds have gone ahead of you. Gone, but definitely not forgotten. May you rest in peace.

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Fr. Michael, we have so many fond memories of our visits and chats with you at High Croft. You were such a lovely down to earth person, so kind, funny, and always up for a laugh.  A great man and an inspiring  priest, who always made time for everyone, has gone to God.  Your good deeds have gone ahead of you. Gone, but definitely not forgotten. May you rest in peace.

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Malcolm & Sue Baldwin

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I only really came into Fr Michael's world in his failing health. We shared a number of lunches which were always punctuated with amazing stories and memories and many chuckle inducing moments. A wonderful man who it was a privilege to know and share moments with. I raise my glass to you Fr Michael and can't imagine what you and Hilary are getting up to up there now. Happy memories.  Nick

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I only really came into Fr Michael's world in his failing health. We shared a number of lunches which were always punctuated with amazing stories and memories and many chuckle inducing moments. A wonderful man who it was a privilege to know and share moments with. I raise my glass to you Fr Michael and can't imagine what you and Hilary are getting up to up there now. Happy memories.  Nick

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I remember giving speeches on Fr Michael's 75th birthday & 40th Anniversary of being a priest. I concluded with these memories: 'Fr Michael is always welcoming. At weekday Mass, he shakes hands with every single member of the congregation. And some of the married ones too. He loves birds & has always had canaries. When he was little, he asked his mother if lemons had beaks. 'No', she said. 'Oh dear', he replied, 'I've just squeezed a canary on my pancake'. His timekeeping was notable. I recall RCIA Candidates telling me how their sessions with him miraculously ended just in time for the football on the TV. And he had a fine sense of humour. Coming from Newcastle-under-Lyme, he obviously supported Leeds United. So a good sense of humour was vital.'  Ian

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I remember giving speeches on Fr Michael's 75th birthday & 40th Anniversary of being a priest. I concluded with these memories: 'Fr Michael is always welcoming. At weekday Mass, he shakes hands with every single member of the congregation. And some of the married ones too. He loves birds & has always had canaries. When he was little, he asked his mother if lemons had beaks. 'No', she said. 'Oh dear', he replied, 'I've just squeezed a canary on my pancake'. His timekeeping was notable. I recall RCIA Candidates telling me how their sessions with him miraculously ended just in time for the football on the TV. And he had a fine sense of humour. Coming from Newcastle-under-Lyme, he obviously supported Leeds United. So a good sense of humour was vital.'  Ian

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Fr. Michael - Thank you for making us such a happy and united parish over the years, making each of us part of the Church’s family in every way. You supported and encouraged every parish initiative, and under your guidance, it became a wonderful thriving parish; you made it a really warm and welcoming place for us all.  Always approachable as a priest, we could chat to you with such ease about anything and everything, as well as having a good laugh, a joke and occasional giggle! You brought wisdom and a great sense of fun with your quiet and understated presence, always ready to comfort, encourage, guide, affirm and challenge us. After celebrating 60 years as a much loved priest, may your reward in heaven be truly great.

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Fr. Michael - Thank you for making us such a happy and united parish over the years, making each of us part of the Church’s family in every way. You supported and encouraged every parish initiative, and under your guidance, it became a wonderful thriving parish; you made it a really warm and welcoming place for us all.  Always approachable as a priest, we could chat to you with such ease about anything and everything, as well as having a good laugh, a joke and occasional giggle! You brought wisdom and a great sense of fun with your quiet and understated presence, always ready to comfort, encourage, guide, affirm and challenge us. After celebrating 60 years as a much loved priest, may your reward in heaven be truly great.

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Arden

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And another memory of a happy occasion with Fr Michael and Fr Gora at the Clockhouse, Milford (photo courtesy of Margaret McClinton)

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Fr Michael, Fr Gora and Mrs Rakowicz at the Ognisko Polish Restaurant in London, to celebrate Fr Gora's birthday, 11 years ago (photo courtesy of Margaret McClinton)

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Dear Fr Michael. Thank you for looking after us for all those years as our kind , caring , loving priest . God bless you , now you are at peace with our Lord . Andrew

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We remember him at Lourdes for years, where he always brought us the cricket scores, He supported us so firmly with the Alpha program,  and we so loved having him live with us for that last six months in the Parish. and he was such a key member of our monthly homegroup, where he loved reading us the Gospel  

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We remember him at Lourdes for years, where he always brought us the cricket scores, He supported us so firmly with the Alpha program,  and we so loved having him live with us for that last six months in the Parish. and he was such a key member of our monthly homegroup, where he loved reading us the Gospel  

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Chris and Helga

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Man cannot live on bread alone, so they made cake! 

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In memory of a very happy occasion with Fr Michael and the parish. (Photo taken by Margaret McClinton)

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Fr. Michael, may the light of heaven shine upon you. Remembering your good humour, encouragement, simplicity, humility, inspiration and deep holiness, along with a kind of heavenly joy you radiated to us all. You were always with us, in good times and bad. Your quiet reassuring presence amongst us for 22 years has left an indelible mark on all our lives.  "In manus tuas."

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Fr. Michael, may the light of heaven shine upon you. Remembering your good humour, encouragement, simplicity, humility, inspiration and deep holiness, along with a kind of heavenly joy you radiated to us all. You were always with us, in good times and bad. Your quiet reassuring presence amongst us for 22 years has left an indelible mark on all our lives.  "In manus tuas."

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Margaret McClinton

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Thank you for welcoming me back into the Church community after a long absence.  And thank you for your service to us all over the years...Sheila and Charles Smith

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Thank you for welcoming me back into the Church community after a long absence.  And thank you for your service to us all over the years...Sheila and Charles Smith

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S

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Happy memories...rest in peace Fr Michael 🙏 Margaret Mccreadie et Al.

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RIP Father Michael, thank you for all your dedicated service to the parish over the years. Maria Moore, Bernadette and family

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I will remember him for his interest in football & his good humour and wit despite his discomfort. Niamh