Fr Bernard Dagnall retired as Vicar of St John's on his 65th birthday, 19 August 2009.  He had been the Parish Priest since 12 November 1993

His last Sunday in the parish, 16 August, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, turned into a great farewell to him.  The big surprise of the day was the presence of Bishop Matthias from Ho in Ghana.  He had come over to England secretly in order to give Fr Bernard the biggest surprise of his life!  Thanks are due to the Bishops of Ebbsfleet and Richborough who had funded this visit and made it possible.