NEW arrangements have been announced for worship in a Roman Catholic parish following the recent death of the priest.

Father Des White, priest for the past five years at St Patrick's RC Church, in Dipton, near Stanley, County Durham, died in August at the age of 74.

The Sunderland-born Merchant Navy and power station engineer trained for the priesthood in later life, following the death of his wife Joan, in 1979.

He studied at college in Rome and was ordained in 1984, serving "an apprenticeship" as assistant priest for six years, before being given his own parish, Stella in Blaydon, near Gateshead, in 1990.

After a stint at St Theresa's, in Heaton, Newcastle, he was appointed to St Patrick's, in north-west Durham, in 1996.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, the Right Reverend Ambrose Griffiths, has now appointed Father David Phillips to serve the joint parishes of St Patrick's, St Theresa's, in nearby Annfield Plain, and All Saints, at Lanchester.

Former priest Bernard Pitt, who retired recently through ill-health, has been given the bishop's blessing to take mass, as and when he is feeling well enough, at St Theresa's.

Fr Phillips will work alongside Canon Bob Spence, one of Bishop Ambrose's four vicars general, who is based at All Saints. Fr Phillips takes up his post next week after a temporary period as priest at St Aidan's, Seahouses, Northumberland.