The new parish priest of the Catholic Parish of the Most Holy Trinity, Diss, has been officially inducted.

Father David Bagstaff, who joined the parish at the end of August, was inducted on Friday by the Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Stephen Hopes, who made his first visit to the St Henry Morse Roman Catholic Church in Diss.

A special mass was heard and the celebration allowed the 62-year-old, who is also the Vicar General and will make appearances on behalf of the bishop if he is unable to attend, to get to know his parishioners better.

Fr David said of the event: 'It was really nice and there was a homely and spiritual feeling about it.

'It was also a nice opportunity to chat and meet people and it was nice to officially be installed as the parish priest.'

Born into a Catholic family in Cambridge Fr David always aspired to become a priest.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1976 and became assistant priest in Peterborough for four years before becoming parish priest at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Ipswich, a position he held for nine years.

He joined St Henry Morse Catholic Church after spending nearly ten years as parish priest of the Parish of the Sacred Heart which covers three churches, Sacred Heart in North Walsham, St Helen in Hoveton and St John of the Cross in Aylsham.

Fr David recently spent time standing in for the Bishop of East Anglia while he was ill in addition to taking care of his parish and was given four months sabbatical in May from the new bishop.

'I went to Perth in Scotland for two months and walked the St Cuthbert Way and went on holiday in Sicily.'

The priest is now looking forward to continuing the hard work of the previous priests.

He said: 'I am very happy to be here and I feel very settled already. I am looking forward to meeting other ministers informally and working with them.

'Diss seems a very pleasant, small and attractive market town.

'I am aware of the good work of the previous priests and I want to build upon the foundations they have made and show people that everyone is welcome.'

Have you got a story to tell us? Let us know by emailing dma.news@archant.co.uk or calling 01379 651153