A PRIEST who spent the past six years preaching to a congregation of hundreds of people is preparing for his new role in a small parish church.

Father Paul Kennington, formerly the Dean of the Anglican Cathedral of Montreal, has been appointed parish priest of St Andrew’s Church in Leytonstone.

Fr Kennington recently moved from Montreal to London with Jonathan, his civil partner of 21 years who works as a teacher.

The 55-year-old said after working with a diverse mix of people abroad, he plans to engage with other faith communities in the area.

He said: “Canada has a very diverse, multi-cultural society and the people are interested in justice and peace.

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“It was great to be a part of that with the church I was in and it broadened my horizons.

“Everybody, in some way or another, is searching for some kind of spiritual meaning and the Christian message is very important.

“There are a lot of issues affecting the world now and I am going to be looking to help build up the relationships with other faiths and those with no faith.”

Fr Kennington studied theology at Oxford before being ordained into the Church of England when he was 26.

The Yorkshire native is fluent in French and Russian and will officially start his new role at St Andrew’s on December 19.

Fr Paul Trathen, vicar at St Peter’s in the Forest and chaplain at Forest College, was involved in selecting Fr Kennington for the post.

He will be showing Fr Kennington the ropes and introducing him to church-goers.

Fr Trathen said: “I am looking forward to working with Father Kennington.

“We are both Yorkshire lads so we will have a lot to talk about and I can also practice my French with Paul.

“He is stepping into this small parish from a very demanding role and it is a very exciting time for us.”