Locum Priests

Locum Priests Updated: 8th December 2025.
We are currently enjoying the benefit of Locum priests as we advertise for our permanent Chaplain.
We are very fortunate to have been blessed with many kind and supportive people over the past months and now look forward to welcoming
Father Idris Vaughan
back to our lovely island to lead us in worship.

I was born in Manchester into a Welsh family. My father and mother moved from South Wales to find work. I am the youngest of five boys and I was named after my father.
After leaving secondary school at 15 I did an apprenticeship as a fitter engineer.
The vicar of my local church gave me a magazine about training for the ministry. I rejected this as I did not think working class boys could enter such a ministry and I wasn’t sure God was calling me to the priesthood. After two years of struggling with the idea I went to talk to my vicar, then my Bishop and it was agreed that I should start some kind of training and testing out of my vocation. I was 20 when I went to a pre-pre theological college based in the village of Greystoke in Cumbria. There were 12 men like me ( no women in those days!) who also had come out of a job and needed to catch up on O and A levels. We lived with families and worked 2 days a week. Lectures were held in the church by volunteer lecturers.
2 years later I moved on to my second pre- theological college in Brasted, Kent. 2 years later I finally entered a theological college in the close of Salisbury cathedral.
2 years later I was ordained Deacon in Carlisle cathedral and a year later was priested.
I still didn’t believe it was going to happen! I was convinced that either I or the ordaining Bishop would have a heart attack! However it DID happen!
I spent 4 years as a curate in Workington, Cumbria, 2 years as a curate in Kidderminster and 6 years as vicar of a rural parish back in Cumbria. During my time there I agreed to do an exchange and went to Zululand for 6 months! While there I felt the call to hospital chaplaincy and moved to Nottingham as an assistant hospital chaplain at the University Hospital. After 5 years I accepted the post of Senior chaplain at Stafford Hospitals which I loved.
I decided to retire at 60 after 16 years and decided to live on a canal boat for half the year and spend the winter in my own home.
However God had other plans! Having had many happy holidays in Lanzarote and on the verge of buying the canal boat I was offered the post of chaplain to St Laurence’s church Lanzarote. After 4 years in Lanzarote I decided it was time to retire properly.
However it is impossible to retire as a priest because God always has something that needs doing!
Due to an interregnum I was asked to help out again in Lanzarote! It may be my last for hopefully it won’t be long before a permanent chaplain is appointed…Deo Volente….God willing!
It has been a privilege to serve here in Lanzarote and you are always in my prayers.
Fr Idris Vaughan