Even if the Vatican had asked him to be Pope, the beloved Father Burke would not have been let go my his congregation.

THE Dermot Burke Appreciation Society, otherwise the congregation of St Charles' RC church in Tudhoe, held one of its weekly gatherings last Sunday morning. Around 220 were present.

Another 187 had attended the vigil Mass the previous evening; 37 of the parish's young folk were confirmed on Wednesday. Who says the Church is on its knees?

Another Mass, yet more greatly thronged, was simultaneously taking place in Rome. It seemed a little surprising that the energetic Fr Burke - variously described as "absolutely fabulous", "truly wonderful" and "a people's priest" - hadn't been asked if he could spare a few hours a week to become Pope, an' all.

"The Vatican wanted him," says someone afterwards. "We had to tell them that we weren't prepared to let him go."

If the latterly elevated Cardinal Ratzinger were God's rottweiler, as unkindly has been supposed, then the gently lilting, warmly welcoming, at once engaging Fr Burke must be God's golden labrador.

If the two infallible powers were the Pope and Bovril, as the Victorian advertisers supposed, Dermot Burke seems barely able to put a foot wrong, either.

Described in the diocesan publication Down Your Aisles as "a Catholic stronghold", Tudhoe's an attractive village tagged onto Spennymoor - pronounced Tudder, perhaps as in Buddha, and never, ever, as Tud-hoe.

As early as 1393, notes Tony Coia in his parish history, John de Tuddoe became Vicar of Hartburn, Stockton, and in 1437 Agnes Tuddowe was installed as prioress of the Benedictine convent at Neasham, near Darlington.

The Catholic faith survived the persecutions after the Rising of the North in 1569 - Tudhoe Hall Farm still has a priest's hole - and of the Germans who, attempting to launch a V1 rocket attack against Billingham or somewhere on Christmas Eve 1944, missed by 20 miles and hit Tudhoe instead.

It ruined the cricket field, caused blast damage to the church, shattered windows in the nearby orphanage run by the Catholic Sisters of Charity. The orphanage, which closed in 1963, is "still remembered with great affection by its former residents," says Down Your Aisles, and doubtless it is so.

The church, built for £5,000 by the land-owning Salvin family, was officially opened in 1870 and is much changed. Fr Burke, there since 1995 and only the seventh priest since the parish was formed in 1858, is credited with much of the facelift, too.

Pinned to the noticeboard at the back are notes of commiseration from the local Anglican vicar ("very much in our thoughts and prayers") and from the Methodist minister ("a great leader and pastor of his people") after the death of John Paul II.

"Father's very ecumenical," says Margaret McGowan. "We have wonderful relationships with the other churches in Spennymoor, the non-Catholics love him."

Though almost inevitably Irish, he is now sufficiently attuned to the North-East - formerly at Peterlee and at West Denton, Newcastle - to address a woman parishioner as "pet" and to support Newcastle United, a virtual condition of employment for priests in the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

An image of the new Pope is beamed onto the wall near the chancel arch, the first hymn's to be God Bless Our Pope, which isn't even in the book.

There's an Irish version, a Scottish version and a Tudhoe version, they say. The first verse is:

Full in the panting heart of Rome,

Beneath the Apostle's crowning dome,

From pilgrims' lips that kiss the ground

Breathes in all tongues one only sound:

"God bless our Pope, the great, the good."

Fr Burke is assisted at Mass by Fr Mark Carroll, now retired but formerly in Darlington. "He used to beat me every time we played golf, until I gave him a lesson. Now he can't do a thing," Fr Burke tells his congregation.

He also announces that they'd wanted the Pope to be there as well, but he was a bit busy that morning. "Instead, we have Mr Mike Amos, and you know how powerful he is."

The service combines the penitential, the prayerful and a little of the playful. Fr Burke announces - the microphone went a bit wonky at this point - that he's written a very fine homily but that they haven't time to hear it.

There are prayers for the Pope - "that God will inspire and sustain him in his difficult vocation" - upbeat backing from a vibrant music group led by local GP Tony Lamb.

"Father's lovely - warm hearted, wise and sometimes impish," says Dr Lamb. "He never seems to lose his enthusiasm, doesn't Father."

Marian McGowan says he mixes well with the congregation, is very spiritual, even roped her into the Irish dancing class which she so greatly loves. Betty Wilkinson says he's been an invigoration.

"Maybe we were a bit conservative before. Father's very good with people, especially young people. He's been wonderful for the church."

Fr Burke himself says afterwards that "most" of his flock welcome the new Pope, though some were disappointed and would have welcomed a "more challenging" appointment.

He's in favour. "I often say that we don't always get what we want, but what we need. I'm confident the Church is in safe hands."

* Saturday evening vigil Mass at St Charles's, Tudhoe is at 6pm, Sunday Mass at 10am. Fr Dermot Burke is on (01388) 814713. The Durham Irish Set Dance group, run by Tudhoe parishioners John and Josephine Coleman, meets at Croxdale Community Centre on Thursdays from 8-10pm and would welcome new members.

* St David's Anglican church in Tudhoe stages a flower festival to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day from May 6-8.