Father Fox was the Parish Priest at St Marie’s when the Church closed it’s doors for the final time in 2007. The members of the St Marie’s Heritage Group were deeply saddened to hear that he had passed away. Please note the obituary below which was published by the Liverpool Archdiocesan Office. Details of Father Fox’s funeral which will be held on Monday 15th March and will be live streamed online are below the Obituary.

Peter Michael Fox was born at Park House Nursing Home, Waterloo, Liverpool, on 23rd May 1944, the eldest of three children born to John and Rita Fox (née Deasy) and baptised at St Edmund’s, Waterloo, on 3rd June 1944. When he was seven, his mother died and his father later remarried, so that in time he also had a stepbrother and sister. He received his early education at St Edmund’s Primary School, Waterloo, The Mount, Blundellsands, and St Mary’s College, Crosby. Aged 12, he entered the seminary at Ushaw to begin his training for the priesthood. He was ordained priest at St Joseph’s, Blundellsands, on 8th March 1969.

Following ordination he served in a number of parishes across the archdiocese as assistant priest and in a number of different capacities: St Aloysius, Roby (September 1969); St Joseph, Chorley (May 1976); Christ the King, Liverpool (November 1980); St Mary’s, Highfield Street, Liverpool (September 1981), during which time he served briefly as chaplain to Liverpool Polytechnic; the Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool (September 1983), where he was the leader of the team of chaplains at The Royal Liverpool Hospital. In April 1986 he received his first appointment as parish priest, when he was appointed at Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton. He moved in September 1991 to St John Fisher, Widnes, where he would remain for the next twenty years. Between 2000 and 2007 he also had the additional responsibility of St Marie’s, Widnes. His final appointment began in September 2011, when he was appointed parish priest at St Luke’s, Whiston.

Peter was a man devoted to his priestly ministry and to prayer, serving faithfully those to whom he was sent to minister: in parishes, especially among the sick; in the hospitals where he served as chaplain, latterly at Whiston and previously at the Royal; in the schools of his parishes; and as chaplain to the Guild of Catholic Doctors and to Council No. 18 of the Knights of St Columba. He accompanied many pilgrimages to Lourdes with Hosanna House, to Walsingham and to the Holy Land.

Peter had many interests with which to fill his moments of leisure. He was an avid supporter of Everton Football Club, a life member at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, he loved music and playing the guitar, and he enjoyed the challenge of the cryptic crossword in The Times each day. Above all, he enjoyed the company of his brother priests, especially on his golfing days and at the many Sunday lunches he enjoyed at St Anne’s, Ormskirk.

Whilst he was a student at Ushaw, Peter was diagnosed with a severe form of type 1 diabetes, something which he had to live with for the rest of his life. To better manage his health condition, Peter was assisted in his work from 1989 by Sister Eileen Moore of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Clare. She remained in this role until his death.

Peter had been preparing for his impending retirement in May after more than fifty years of active priestly ministry. Sadly, on the very day of his sudden death, Wednesday 24th February 2021, he had been due to visit his retirement flat in Maghull.

May he rest in peace.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Father Peter Fox, who died on 24th February 2021. He was 76 years of age and was in the 52nd year of his priesthood.

Vigil Mass: Fr Peter’s body will be received into St Luke’s Church, Whiston, for Mass at 7.00 p.m. on Sunday 14th March. Bishop Tom will preside.

Requiem Mass: Monday 15th March at St Luke’s Church, Whiston, at 11.00 a.m. Archbishop Malcolm will preside.

Burial will follow in the cemetery at Saints Peter and Paul, Crosby.

Due to the current restriction on numbers attending funerals, any clergy wishing to attend the Requiem Mass (no concelebration) should consult with Father Andrew Rowlands (Dean of Knowsley) smaaa@rcaol.org.uk or 0151 546 9687 beforehand. Once the family numbers have been confirmed he will be able to allocate places to others.

It is hoped that both Masses will be live-streamed for the benefit of those who cannot attend in person. Details of the links to access the live-streaming service will be issued later.

With every good wish,

Aidan Prescott

Canon Aidan Prescott

Vicar General