It is with sadness that the Diocese of Leeds announces the death of Fr Peter Johnson, peacefully yesterday evening, Tuesday 16 March, at St James’ University Hospital, Leeds. Please pray for the repose of Fr Peter’s soul and remember his family and his friends in your prayers at this time.
Funeral arrangements
Fr Peter’s body will be received into St Urban’s Church, Leeds on Monday 12 April 2021 at, 6:00pm followed by the celebration of Holy Mass.
Bishop Marcus will celebrate the Funeral Mass on Tuesday 13 April at 11:00am.
Due to current restrictions, there are no places available at the Funeral Mass, but; if you have a particular connection with Fr Peter and would like to attend the Reception, please contact the Vicar General, Mgr Paul Fisher on vicargeneral@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
The Funeral Mass will be live-streamed and can be accessed by following this link: https://youtu.be/K-e5nt4Sx90
“Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.”
Fr Peter Johnson RIP
Peter William Johnson was born on 6 February 1934. He studied for the priesthood at the English College in Lisbon and was ordained there on 22 July 1963.
Returning to Yorkshire following ordination, Fr Johnson was first appointed as Assistant Priest in the parish of St Brigid, Huddersfield where he remained until 1966 when he moved to St Robert’s, Harrogate. Five years later he was appointed to St Joseph’s, Moorthorpe and this move was followed by appointments to St Joseph’s, Brighouse (1975-77) and SS Peter & Paul, Yeadon (1977-78).
In June 1978 Bishop Wheeler gave Fr Peter his first appointment as a Parish Priest, at St Mary’s, Cottingley, in the Aire Valley. In 1986 he moved to St Urban’s, Leeds where served until 1995 when he was appointed to SS Peter & Paul, Sandal. His final appointment came in 1998 when he became Parish Priest of St Gregory’s, in East Leeds.
Fr Peter retired from active ministry in 2006 and for several years he lived independently at Whitkirk, in Leeds. In 2015 he went to reside at Mount St Joseph’s in Headingley. Bishop Marcus has said that “a great debt of gratitude is owed to the Little Sisters of the Poor who provided Fr Peter with a home and the care he needed in his retirement”.
Fr Peter died after a short illness at the age of 87, on Tuesday 16 March 2021. As a priest of the Diocese of Leeds for almost fifty-eight years, Fr Johnson was a pastor of great experience, having served the people of nine very different parishes between 1963 and 2006. These were years of tremendous change in the life of the Church and the Diocese, and he will be fondly remembered for his steadfast faith, and for his quiet devotion to the priesthood and to the well-being of his parishioners.
May he rest in peace.
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