Who says you can’t serve God and mammon? New Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who was photographed chillaxing in shorts at the Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire last weekend, has started taking Mass at St Mary’s Church in Hampstead. Other famous parishioners in the past have included Charles De Gaulle and actor Michael Williams, late husband of Dame Judi Dench.
Mr Carney is a practising Catholic who, when he lived in Ottawa, lived on the same street as the Sisters of Charity and would often say “hi” to his neighbours when he was out on his early-morning runs.
The Canadian should be impressed that the parish has experience of successfully dealing with debt. In the early Nineties, according to the Tablet, St Mary’s owed £750,000 following extensive repairs and restoration.
But thanks to fundraising, grants and donations, the money was paid back quickly. One of the initiatives included a gala evening with performances from Dame Judi and her husband.
