Canon Nick Feist retires

Mary Feist, Reverend Canon Nick Feist receiving his Vocational Award from Rotary Club President, Stuart Sawle and Sue Furby, Chair of the Youth and Vocational Committee

Canon Nick Feist, priest in charge at St Leonard's Church in Middleton, retired from his parish with effect from Sunday 2 March.

Canon Feist was ordained as a priest in 1976 after previously training as a solicitor. He said: “Getting ordained was something I thought about when I was about 21 years old. It sort of came after a period of finding God.”

He then moved to Middleton in 1988 after working at various parishes in Didsbury and Delph.

Retirement has come for after 26 years in Middleton and Canon Feist says one of his fondest memories is the people of the town. He said: “My fondest memory is certainly the people I have met over the years. As well as the funerals, baptisms and weddings, it has been about meeting the people and helping them in church.”

The people will also be what he misses most about retirement. He added: “Coming to Middleton was different for me. I was from the generation that moved around for different reasons and I found coming to Middleton that people had lived here their whole lives and so had their parents and their grandparents. It is nice to see that and it gives that real community feel about the town.”

Canon Feist also received a Vocational Award from Middleton Rotary Club for his services to the community. He said: “I was very humbled to receive the award. They said it was for people who go above and beyond their duty. It is a nice way to end things but my final service was also absolutely amazing as well. It was incredible to see people standing at the back.”

Now retired, Canon Feist hopes to spend more time with his family but will still be involved with the church. He added: “My wife has been retired for 4 years, so now I am retired we can have some time together. Now we have more time at the weekends we can will still do some things with the churches when I can but now I am retired I can choose what I want to do and when I can do it.”

Middleton MP Jim Dobbin commented on Nick’s retirement and said: “I thank him for his friendship over the years and wish him well.”