WOODFORD GREEN: New vicar reveals love of tattoos (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WOODFORD GREEN: New vicar reveals love of tattoos

6:18pm Monday 26th October 2009

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THE new vicar at a historic church has raised eyebrows by admitting to an unconventional hobby - a love of tattoos.

Father Graham Sawyer took up his post at St Barnabas in Woodford Green three weeks ago after spending seven months working for a rural parish in Devon, and has made his mark already by revealing his passion for body art.

The Anglican priest has commemorated his time at one of the churches in Dartmoor by getting a special Quaker star tattooed onto his chest - to go with the more than 15 hours worth of Polynesian patterns and pictures that have been inked across his body over the years.

Father Sawyer, 48, said the new tattoo symbolises his passion for the Quakers - he is one of only two Anglican priests to also be a member of the movement - and his connection with his former parishioners.

He said: "I suppose it is a bit of an unusual thing for a priest in this country to have tattoos but it isn't in places like New Zealand where I worked for a while.

"Coptic priests in the Middle East also sometimes have tattoos on their wrists.

"There is a strong Christian tradition for body art.

"Myself and a colleague who was ordained at the same time as me, both have a passion for body art and have had a sort of friendly competition since then to see who can get the most done."

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