Fr Pawel Sobol
I was born in 1986 in South-eastern Poland. I finished Seminary in Przemysl and I was ordained to the priesthood in 2011. I have served as an Assistant Priest in Besko and Kanczuga (both in Poland). In 2015 I came to England to serve also as an Assistant Priest in St Bede’s Parish in Clapham Park, London and from September 2017 in St Francis’ Parish in Maidstone. On 1st September 2020 I joined to the community of our Parish of St Simon Stock in Walderslade. I entrust my ministry and the entire parish to the protection of Our Lady Mary – Mother of God and to the intercession of our patron St. Simon Stock.
Rev Deacon Martin Smith
I was born in 1968 and grew up in the Blackheath / Kidbrooke area of South-East London. Denise and I were married in St William of York, Forest Hill in 1992 and moved to Walderslade to start our life together. We have lived in the parish since then. We have 2 sons, Chris and Joe. Chris is currently working as a Physics Technician in St Simon Stock School in Maidstone, and Joe is studying Maths and Physics at the University of Royal Holloway in Egham, Surrey.
I have been working for the Environment Agency since the beginning of 2009, as a site regulator, working mostly with paper mills and chemical manufacturing sites. Before this, I worked for 22 years making colour pigments for printing inks and paints, (where I met Denise).
Over the years I have been involved with lots of activities in the parish, including running the Confirmation program. In 2016, I was accepted on the Formation program for the Permanent Diaconate. I was ordained, along with three others, on 6th July 2019 at St George’s Cathedral by Archbishop Peter Smith. I have the honour of being the last Permanent Deacon ordained by Archbishop Peter.