We are delighted to welcome our new curate, Revd Chris O’Hara, to St Mary’s. Chris introduced himself in our recent newsletter.
Chris will be ordained Deacon in St Albans Cathedral on Sunday 5 July, and will begin his training and ministry among us on Monday 6 July.
We very much look forward to welcoming him and his family.
I’m very excited to be joining St Mary’s and the wider community in Rickmansworth as your new curate.
For a little background, I was raised in Maidenhead Berkshire, moving to Hertfordshire to be with my wife and stepdaughter.
Prior to ministry, my career has been an eclectic one. I have been a karaoke/disco DJ, the manager of an aquatics store, a ‘meals on wheels’ driver, a bartender, and for 10 years I worked in the waste management industry for a local council during which I learnt basic British Sign Language and was trained in mental health support. For the past three years I have been keeping St Albans clean and tidy as an environmental enforcement officer, assisting local businesses with waste compliance and prosecuting fly tippers. Additionally, I have volunteered for the chaplaincy team at HMP The Mount and The Watford Town Centre Street Chaplains.
I have been a member of St Lawrence Church in Bovingdon since 2013. It is the church we got married in and where I came to ministry under the guidance of Revd Canon Charles Burch. My primary experience is in youth ministry: I lead family focused services, ran the St Lawrence youth group and founded their annual Light Party, a free event that regularly welcomes up to 300 local children into the church on Halloween. I look forward to bringing my experience and insight to my time at St Mary’s.
I firmly believe that the church should be the central pillar of every community. I’m passionate about outreach that connects the church directly with the community it serves. My philosophy is inspired by St Francis of Assisi, aiming to ‘Preach the gospel daily, use words only when necessary’ and regularly reference Sister Monica Joan: ‘The hands of the Almighty are so often to be found at the ends of our own arms.’ (Yes, that’s a Call The Midwife quote. I liked it so much, I even put it in an essay during my studies!)
In my spare time I enjoy woodwork and have found a real joy in handcrafting prayer crosses out of olive wood responsibly sourced from the Holy Land and abstract sculptures. I enjoy hiking, modern Christian music and avidly follow the TV show The Chosen. I find it almost impossible to turn down a slice of cake and am proud to say I am 13 years sober from alcohol.
Accompanying me on this move are my wife Nicki, daughter Olivia, our beloved dog Freida (who is enjoying learning to become a church dog) and Shelley, a tortoise I inherited from my late mother – long story! Nicki is a writer. In 2024 she published her first poetry collection, and Olivia works full-time in the equestrian industry. She has two rabbits Poppy & Willow and a horse named Calypso, who we affectionately refer to as ‘Dip’.
We are very much looking forward to getting to know Rickmansworth, and I can’t wait to join you all soon.
Blessings
Chris