Fr Mason

Fr Mason served the Southwold Mission for over 40 years and his legacy remains visible in the Church he fought so hard to provide for Catholics in Southwold. In 1938 Fr Mason was made Canon of the diocese of Northampton and his elevation to this dignity was no doubt a recognition of the great part he had played in the establishing of the Parish. He died on 11th November 1940 and was buried in the Catholic part of St Edmund’s cemetery, Southwold. He had spent nearly the entirety of his priestly life in the town and it is fitting that he should rest there. Of Fr Mason, Fr Davidson wrote:

"Canon Mason made a study of the local churches and gave several talks to the local Antiquarian Society. He loved his dogs, he loved the country round and would go for long walks. He would say that his dogs were the most faithful, loyal and affectionate of all his parishioners. It was perhaps Dunwich he was especially fond of (sic). The history of St Felix and St Edmund fascinated him."

During the War Years, and following Fr Mason’s death, Frs R. Howarth and K. Ellison, assisted by Army Chaplains, kept the Mission alive. Immediately following the War, the tenure of a priest was short: for example, Fr Henry Macklin served just one year from 1945-46 and Fr John Mossey from 1947-51. Fr (later Canon) McBride arrived in 1951 and held tenure in Southwold for 7 years. During his time, the Church of St Edmund King & Martyr was built in Halesworth. The Halesworth church was, as it remains today, an integral part of the Parish.