From The Guardian (London)
Father Ian Hellyer is a Roman Catholic priest – but far from being celibate, he's a father. Not just to a couple of children, either: in true Roman Catholic fashion, Father Ian has lots of them – nine, in fact, ranging from 18-year-old Clare to seven-month-old Rose – taking in Teresa (17), Angela (15), Martha (11), John (nine), Luke (seven), Simeon (four) and Gregory (two) in between.
Ian (45) hasn't done all this on his own, naturally: his wife Margaret (43) has been heavily involved too. And yes, he agrees genially over a cup of tea at his cluttered family home, his lifestyle does surprise a lot of people. Just the other day he was wheeling Rose's buggy into a church before a service, clerical collar visible, when a whole row of elderly Catholic ladies turned to stare at him. "They had this mixture of delight and horror on their faces – delight at the baby, and horror that she belonged to me," he says.
This time last year, Ian was an Anglican priest, and he and Margaret and their children lived in a large Victorian vicarage in Devon. The house, and the life, seemed to have been made for them: they had six bedrooms and two staircases. There was a huge garden and plenty of friends for the children in the surrounding villages.
More here-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/17/father-hellyer-catholic-priest-nine-children?newsfeed=true
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