TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved priest whose ministry included service in Middlesbrough, Hull and East Cleveland.

Canon Bill Madden died at the age of 86 in Conna Nursing Home in County Cork, Ireland, on Monday, April 10.

Born in 1935 in Lismore, County Waterford, he trained at St John’s Seminary, Waterford, and was ordained at Waterford Cathedral on June 15 1958.

Canon Madden immediately came to the Diocese of Middlesbrough and was appointed assistant priest at Corpus Christi Church, Thorntree, Middlesbrough, where he remained until 1970.

He was then appointed assistant port chaplain at Anchor House in Hull, becoming the main chaplain from 1973 to 1978, when he was appointed parish priest at St Peter and John Fisher, Withernsea.

In 1981 Canon Madden returned to Middlesbrough as parish priest at Sacred Heart Church and he was made a canon of the Cathedral Chapter in 1994.

In 1995 he became parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Saltburn and from 1997 to 2010 he also had pastoral responsibility for St Anthony’s, Brotton.

In 2005 he was elected as provost for the Chapter of Canons and in 2010 he retired to Ireland to be close to his family.

His funeral Mass took place on Wednesday April 12.