SOME three hundred people packed the Church at St Cross for a special service to mark the retirement of the Master of St Cross, Reg Sweet.

Reg’s retirement service on Sunday saw the Rev Mark Birch give the sermon, Rev Lynette Sweet (Reg’s daughter) read a lesson, and Jonathan and Lucy Sweet (son and grand-daughter) took up the elements.

Reg has had a long and immensely successful career. Made a deacon in 1962 in the newly consecrated Coventry Cathedral by the Bishop of Coventry, he was ordained a priest on December 15 1963.

His 55-plus years in ministry include being a chaplain in the Royal Navy, as well as Vicar of parishes in Norfolk and chaplain in the Royal Naval Reserve.

He was also Senior Chaplain for the Mission to Seamen in Southampton. Since 1999 he was for twelve years chaplain to the Hospital of St Cross and for the past nine years has served as its Master.

Reg also serves as chaplain to the honourable company of Master Mariners, Chaplain to the Anchorites, Chaplain to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association in the Solent, and Chairman of the Mission to Seafarers, Winchester.

This week Reg has been presented with many gifts from a multitude of organisations with which he is involved, including the Hospital Trustees, Brothers and Staff, the Friends of the Hospital of St Cross, the Friends for Tea Group, the Youth and Children’s group and the parish congregation.

“I am overwhelmed,” he said, “by the generosity and kindness people have shown to me. You will always be welcome to visit me in my new home in Gosport, and of course, I hope to be invited back to see all of you who have over the years become very close friends.”

Mr Krinks: “Reg is a very popular figure in St Cross and has been well loved and cherished by all the people here who so appreciate his enormous ability to breathe calmness and peace into difficult situations.

“We will miss him enormously and value his tremendous contribution to the life of this community.”