Three vicars whose combined ministry spans virtually the entire past 50 years have come together to welcome the new vicar of St Jude's Church, Southsea.

|PIC1|More than 300 worshippers were also in attendance to see the Rev Michael Duff instituted and inducted as the new vicar at a special service 28 August.

Rev Duff had previously been assistant curate at St Jude's Church from 1999-2003 before spending the past four years in Indonesia with the Church Mission Society.

His return to the parish as vicar was marked by a reunion of his three long-serving predecessors - the Rev Don Churchman, who was vicar there from 1959 until 1974, the Ven Tony Turner, who was vicar from 1974 to 1986, and Canon John Byrne, who was vicar between 1987 and 2006.

Both Don Churchman and Tony Turner are now retired and both live in nearby Hayling Island. John Byrne moved last year to become vicar at All Saints Church, Branksome Park in Poole, after 19 years at St Jude's.

The service was led by the Archdeacon of Portsdown, the Ven Trevor Reader, standing in for the Anglican Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson, who is still recovering from leukaemia treatment.

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, other Anglican clergy, leaders of other churches in Portsmouth, and worshippers from St Jude's were among those who formally welcomed Rev Duff to his new post during the service.

It is relatively uncommon for someone who trains in a parish as an assistant curate to return to the same parish as vicar.

One of the attractions of St Jude's for Rev Duff was its innovative 'Friday Fridge' project, which gives those returning from pubs and clubs nearby the chance to experience a 'spiritual chill-out' in church until 2am on Friday nights. Another attraction was the church's ambitious programme to re-develop the inside of its building - placing the worship area on a new first floor and creating a new entrance opposite the top of the nearby shopping precinct.