The Parish of the Immaculate Conception is served by the follwing clergy:

Rev. Fr. John Y. Batthula - Parish Priest

Rev. Mr. Michael Panejko - Parish Deacon

Rev. Fr. Pat Armstrong - Retired priest resident in Bicester

REV. FR. JOHN Y. BATTHULA, B.A., M.A. CANON LAW., M.A. ED.
PARISH PRIEST

The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. John Batthula, is the ninth incumbent to hold that title in the seventy years since the Parish of the Immaculate Conception was created. He took charge at the end of August 2013 and was formally inducted as parish priest by Canon Mervin Tower, the Dean of Banbury, on Friday, 4th October (left and below). Highly thought of, and missed, in his former parish of St.Peter and St. Paul in Pype Hayes in Birmingham, he was well supported by his former parishioners at the Induction Mass. Ordained to the sacred priesthood on the 10th of March 1992, Fr. John had previously served at Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Therese of Lisieux, Saltley in Birmingham, St. Elizabeth in Coventry and Our Lady and St. Hubert in Warley. Of unmistakably Indian background the feet of his new parishioners have not touched the ground since he arrived. He arrived as not a total stranger to Bicester – he had paid “blink and you missed me” visit during the incumbency of Rev. Fr. Aldo Tapparo.

One of his accomplishments has been the setting up of The Batthula Care Trust which seeks to help lepers, the poor and elderly through the provision of work, education, medical aid and accommodation for people in India who would otherwise be deprived of these necessities of life.

REV. MR. MICHAEL PANEJKO
PARISH DEACON.

Although of exotic Ukrainian ancestry and parentage, Deacon Michael was born and brought up in Bicester attending both St. Mary’s School before moving on to what is now Bicester Community College. After leaving school he qualified as a mechanic (possibly the only deacon in the diocese who can bless your car and then advise on changing the spark plugs) before becoming a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence where he is a quality manager. Before coming forward for and being ordained to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Philip Pargeter at St. Chad’s Cathedral on Sunday, 19th July 2009 (below), one of the first in the diocese, he completed many faithful years as an altar server at the Parish of the Immaculate Conception becoming one of the first in the parish to earn a silver medal from the Archconfraternity of St. Stephen. His many years as an altar server during which he learned about the liturgy of the Catholic Church and honed his ‘sanctuary sense and skills’ that would stand him in good stead in his new vocation leading to him being described as an oddity by a fellow member of the diocesan clergy; an oddity because he knew what he was doing, liturgically speaking. These liturgical skills were immediately put to the test at the Ordination Mass where he was honoured to be invited to exercise his new ministry and act as one of the deacons during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
It is in the celebration of the Church’s liturgies that Deacon Michael carries out his most visible role: in proclaiming the Gospel and assisting in the celebration of the Mass but not in its con-celebration which is why he stands back from the altar and kneels at the consecration. As a deacon, during the Mass he acts as an Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist and is permitted to bless non-communicants with the consecrated host and also to purify the sacred vessels once Mass is over. In addition he is also able to baptise, to preside at a wedding or take a funeral service, to expose and to give Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, to conduct Eucharistic Services and to take Holy Communion to, but not to anoint the sick or hear confessions, to preach and to bless people and objects.

REV. FR. PAT ARMSTRONG.
RETIRED PRIEST RESIDENT IN BICESTER.

The Parish is grateful to be able to call upon the services of Rev. Father Patrick Armstrong who has chosen Bicester as his retirement home. Born in 1937, he was ordained in March 1971 and has served in parishes in Lichfield and Sparkhill before coming to the parish of Our Lady and St. Hugh in Witney. Paradoxically, now that he has retired and is therefore not tied to a particular parish, he is busier now than when he was involved in parish ministry. The demands made on his time as supply cover for priests who are away from their parish for whatever reason and prompted by the overall shortage of priests in the diocese means that on many weekends he is absent from Bicester.