Three parishioners of St. George’s, Warminster, were presented with the Bene Merenti Medal by Bishop Mervyn when he celebrated Mass at St. George’s on 29th September 1998 on the occasion of the Parish’s 60th anniversary.
One of the three recipients of the medal was Terence Howes. The following citation was read out by Fr. Paul before the medal was presented to Terence:
Terence Howes, born 1922. (Retired Civil Servant). Among his many lifelong activities for his Church, Terence was President, Legion of Mary; Secretary, Knights of St. Columba; Treasurer, Diocesan and Ecumenical Councils; Secretary, Clifton Diocesan Pastoral Council. These are the bare details given in ‘Who’s Who in Catholic Life’ (1996).
Behind this bare listing of facts is a long history of involvement in the many aspects of the Church’s ministry long before he retired to Warminster. Here are two testimonials from his past career:
“I am delighted that Terence Howes is being considered for the Bene Merenti Medal – we were together on the Board of Lourdes House, an initiative to provide holidays for handicapped people and their families. He was the Secretary, and quite the best I’ve ever worked with.” – Gilbert Jones, St. Augustine’s Abbey, Ramsgate, 10th April 1997.
From his previous parish, St. Peter’s, Westgate On Sea: “I can confirm that Terence was an active member of St. Peter’s, Westgate. Terence was Parish MC, Parish Secretary, and ‘Archivist’. He was active in Westgate for more than twenty years. Always ready to put his professional skills at the disposal of the Parish, the Deanery and the Diocese. He lived his Catholic faith in the workplace, was proud of his Catholic heritage, was an exemplary husband and family man. He well deserves the Honour.” – Fr. Jim Hurley, former Parish Priest at Westgate.
Since coming to Warminster in 1985 he has been involved in every facet of Parish life and in the ecumenical context he has been the driving force behind many inter-church initiatives. On the educational side he has been Secretary of the Board of Governors of St. George’s Primary School and is currently Secretary to the Trustees. The Parish finances benefit from his accounting skills in that very difficult area of covenanting. His present contribution to the workings of the Diocesan Pastoral Council is substantial and beneficial, not least his skill and hard work in weaving its sometimes disconnected deliberations into a readable narrative. He is also Secretary to PADS (Parents Against Drugs) and has been instrumental in guiding this body through the legal tangles of obtaining charitable status.
Terence is following the example of his father who was also a holder of the Bene Merenti Medal.
At the age of 75 years we submit his proposal with the suggestion that his works past and present are, in the current idiom, ‘something of a record’.