Father Noel Breslin guarantees a short sermon

Our Lady & St. Brigid's catholic church in Northfield, Birmingham has a new parish priest, Father Noel Breslin who arrived on January 26 to replace Father Michael Neylon. The appointment of 47 year old Father Breslin was my cue to go and see him in his new parish 
to find out more, I had met
Father Breslin once before he seemed a very affable man with a great sense of humour, I wondered on my way up to see him if  this new responsibility would change him. I arrived and was greeted with a big smile and a firm handshake, how's the Harp Pat? as he led me into his well appointed office, first things first a cup of tea he remarked, sound I said and he went on to explain he had no housekeeper yet, but was working on it. We went into the church which has had major work completed on it, to get a few pictures taken for the article, the beautiful back drop to the alter was unveiled last year and is a real work of art, he goes on to tell me that St Brigid's is a big parish and that Father Michael Neylon will be a hard act to follow, but with he is facing up to the challenge with great enthusiasm and will draw strength form the parishioners and their strong catholic faith. Back into the house for my tea and I begin to find out more about this Donegal priest. I learned

St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Northfield, Birmingham. Father Breslin’s new home for the foreseeable future

What the parishioners of St Brigid's are getting is an experienced parish priest who has served previously in Stoke-on-Trent and Chesterton for 12 years and St Chad's Cathedral and Christ the King Church in Birm-ingham, his last church was St Dunstan's in Kings Heath in Birming-ham before taking his new appointment. Father Breslin was ordained in Ardara in Co Donegal in 1982, his first position seen him as curate of St Eunan's Cathedral in Letterkenny, coming from a large family who were proud to see one of their own become a priest in their native Donegal. I asked him what kind of a priest was he, was he strict, a traditionalist and he looked at me and said "I am ceremonial but don't stand on ceremony, I have a great respect of tradition but my attitude to mass is you should leave mass happy, a short sermon is guaranteed, in my life as a priest I have always had a 7-8 minute sermon I have always thought I could get my message across without a long homily, he went on "if you carry a burden in to mass you should not carry it out again, talk and express your worries and let the church try and help". As I said earlier Father Breslin has a sense of humour and as I was ending my chat with him I asked him about this housekeeper position and was he eating well, he looked at me and said Patrick the parishioners needn't fear I have been watching TV chef Gordon Ramsay and have been expermenting with lots of his recipies, I am getting there slowly but the smoke detector in the kitchen has gone off a few times so as you will tell there's still room for improvement! This easy going affable priest confirmed my opinion of him beautifully when I asked my last question, Father how would you sum yourself up? his reply,"I have never met anyone better than myself and I have never met anyone worse either!
Take time out when you next visit Our Lady of St Brigid's church in Northfield and introduce yourself to Father Noel Breslin you wont be disappointed.