WHO Are we?
Father Simon Ellis
Father Simon Ellis is the Parish Priest. He is a prominent figure in the local community and within the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Father Simon’s path to the Catholic priesthood is a significant part of his identity. He comes from a long line of clergy; both his father and grandfather were Church of England vicars.
Before his ordination, he was a secondary school teacher (Science and Maths).
Anglican Ministry: He served as an Anglican vicar for 15 years.
In 2011, following Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation to Anglicans (via the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus), Father Simon entered into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Family Life: Unlike most Latin Rite Catholic priests, Father Simon is married (to his wife, Kate) and has two daughters. This is permitted for former Anglican clergy who become Catholic priests under the Ordinariate provisions.
He was inducted as the Parish Priest at St Margaret Mary on September 25, 2016.
The "Newman Cluster": He oversees a cluster of parishes that includes St Margaret Mary (Perry Common), Christ the King (Kingstanding), and Our Lady of the Assumption (Maryvale).
Chaplaincy: He provides chaplaincy services to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.
Ordinariate Leadership: He is a key leader for the Birmingham Ordinariate Group, helping to maintain Anglican traditions (such as specific liturgical texts and music) within a Catholic framework.
Personal Interests and Publications
Father Simon is known for being approachable and active in parish outreach. His personal interests include:
Interests: Cricket, football, gardening, and wildlife conservation.
Writing: He authored a biography titled Sea Without a Shore, which details the life of Michael Houghton, a Birmingham-born educationalist and Anglican Bishop.
Current Focus (2026): He is currently leading the parish through a significant merger process involving the "Newman Cluster" churches to form a newly unified community, potentially under a new name such as Sacred Heart and St John Henry Newman.
Father Leonard Cox
Father Leonard Cox is a long-standing and active clergyman serving at St Margaret Mary Catholic Church in the Perry Common area of Birmingham. He serves as the Assistant Priest, working alongside the Parish Priest, Father Simon Ellis.
Father Leonard is a member of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a structure within the Catholic Church that allows former Anglicans to enter into full communion while retaining elements of their spiritual and liturgical heritage.
Father Leonard is often involved in:
Divine Worship: Celebrating Masses according to the Ordinariate’s specific liturgy (a form of the Roman Rite that incorporates Anglican liturgical traditions).
Sacramental Preparation: Leading "Sycamore" courses and meetings for those looking to become Catholic or receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Pastoral Care: Along with Father Simon, he provides hospital ministry (particularly for Good Hope Hospital), performs house visits, and administers the Last Rites.
Father Leonard is known for his presence in the parish’s daily life, from leading prayer ministry and spiritual direction to participating in the school's community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was noted for maintaining a "buddying system" to support isolated and elderly parishioners from his home.
Sisters Minor of St. Francis
Sister Michela, Sister Miriam & Sr Catalina
Convent of the Sisters Minor of St Francis
192 Hawthorn Rd
Click on the photo to learn more about the Sisters Minor of St Francis
Deacon Gary O'Brien
Before being ordained Gary spent the best part of 20 years as a solicitor acting for large
commercial organisations. He managed a large team and, professionally, spent his working
days resolving disputes very often through mediation and negotiation.
He then went into
teaching for nearly 10 years, finishing up as a sixth form tutor and teacher in a Catholic
secondary school. His “teacher voice”, as some parishioners have called it, has come in very
handy when grappling with the eccentricities of our sound system at Christ the King.
It was in May 2016 that Gary first offered himself to the Permanent Diaconate. He had a
distinct experience of being called to do that whilst at a Life in the Spirit seminar at Oscott
College. He began the necessary five year preparation period in September 2016 and was
ordained on 4 th September 2021 as a permanent deacon.
His current degree course is not
about equipping him to be a priest. That is not on the agenda at all. It is about qualifying him
to do the full range of duties required of an official in the Marriage Tribunal. The Marriage
Tribunal is the official body within the Archdiocese that deals with marriage annulment after
a marriage has broken down.
Gary has actually been working as a tribunal official from day
one after his ordination but the completion of the degree will qualify him to be a judge of
the tribunal. At moment he can do everything but that role. So even after he graduates he is
still going to have to balance parish duties with this Tribunal role. However, with your
support and understanding, Gary has every confidence that between us and by the power of
God’s grace we will manage to make it work
You will find Gary mostly at Christ the King, although he does lend a hand from time to time at Our Lady of the Assumption.