Father John Musther

The saintly and exceptional priest, Fr John,  fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday  4th February. He, with his wife Jenny, (Bega in Orthodoxy), was able to found the first Orthodox Church in Cumbria in recent times. Keswick now has one of the most lively and expanding churches in our Deanery with persons, including many young, seeking to join every month. This is entirely due to this remarkable, charismatic, founding priest.

Fr John was born in Halifax during the second world war, he attended Manchester Grammar School and then studied law at London University. With a scholarship, he studied Theology at Oxford and then attended  Mirfield Theological College becoming an ordained priest in the Anglican Church. John asked his Bishop to send him to the most challenging parish he could find. This was typical of John’s great love for those in need, and his boundless energy and enthusiasm in everything he did.

John spent 17 years as a monk in a contemplative monastery in Sussex. Amongst other works he was in charge of the library where he was excited whilst reorganising the library to delve into the Great Tradition of the Early Church. In this, he discovered the one way of holiness that could be traced through every century. It became his life’s passion to promote this way of holiness, through a life of prayer, and this set him on his journey to Orthodoxy.

After leaving the monastery Fr John set up an open house on a notorious housing estate in Brighton. In this, he helped the many people who came to him with broken lives. Many had addictions or mental health problems or were homeless. No one was ever turned away and all were given help. From 1994 he continued this work and soon met Jenny, a hospice matron. She joined him and together they kept a food store, a furniture store, and always a well-stocked fridge - but most of all, a heart full of love and compassion.

In due course, John and Jenny were married and received into the Orthodox Church and John became a Deacon. They moved to Keswick in 2007, 'in partial retirement'. John was ordained Orthodox priest at St Bega’s Church, Basenthwaite, in 2008. To his amazement, a thriving parish soon emerged, able to meet in the former Methodist Church in Braithwaite, near Keswick.

The Brathwaite Church has become known for its warm welcome and fervent worship attracting many young families and singles from all over Cumbria, from vastly different lifestyles and diverse nationalities.

Fr John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012 but this did not reduce his enthusiasm; he found the energy to travel all over Scotland and the North of England to write his third book, ’Sacred North’ outlining the lives of the saints and describing their locations.

 In recent months his health deteriorated. Jenny was able to care for him at home until his peaceful death.

Fr John was a saintly man of prayer and dedication who always said that the unconditional love of  Christ should be the centre and motivation for everything we do in life.  We have witnessed the passing of a very great man and his legacy will continue to inspire.

Fr David Gill & Jenny Musther

(Attached is an account of the funeral that was published in a local newspaper.)

Here's a link to beautiful documentary about Father John Musther, made by Alma Photo Studio