Michael Fava

Summary

Michael Paul Dare Fava CBE QHC (born 1962) is a British Catholic priest and former British Army chaplain. From 2018 to 2020, he served as Deputy Chaplain General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department: he is the first Roman Catholic to hold the post.[1]

Fr Michael Fava in 2020

Biography edit

Fava was born in 1962 in Kampala, Uganda, before moving to the United Kingdom in 1970.[2] He was educated at Salesian College, Farnborough, an independent Catholic school.[3] He studied theology at the University of Oxford and then pastoral theology at the University of London.[2]

Fava entered the Order of Saint Benedict in 1980, and was ordained to the priesthood on 8 July 1989.[4][5] He was commissioned into the British Army as a chaplain in 1997.[4][6] In 2004, he moved from the Benedictines to become a secular priest affiliated with the Diocese of Portsmouth.[4] He appointed Deputy Chaplain-General to Her Majesty's Land Forces Army in November 2018,[1] and promoted to the rank of deputy chaplain general (equivalent to brigadier) on 30 June 2019.[7]

On 5 July 2017, Fava was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen (QHC).[8] He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours.[9]

Fava retired from the British Army on 30 October 2020.[10] In late 2021, he joined St Joseph's Church, Newbury, Berkshire, in the Diocese of Portsmouth, as parish priest.[11][12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Top appointment for Catholic army chaplain". Independent Catholic News. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Fr Michael Fava". Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun's. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Salesian Old Boy honoured by the Queeen". Salesians UK. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Fr Michael Fava is appointed as administrator". Bishopric of the Forces. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Directory - Rev Michael Fava". Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. ^ "No. 54694". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 March 1997. p. 2675.
  7. ^ "No. 62700". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 2019. p. 11673.
  8. ^ "No. 62024". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 August 2017. p. 15407.
  9. ^ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B6.
  10. ^ "No. 63164". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 November 2020. p. 18604.
  11. ^ Michalczuk, Chris (6 August 2021). "Bishop Philip Egan - New Clergy Appointments 2021". Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun's. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  12. ^ "St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Newbury". www.stjosephsnewbury.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Chaplain General
2018 to 2020
Succeeded by