NEWQUAY’s popular parish priest is leaving for pastures new.

Chris McQuillan-Wright, the vicar of the benefice of Towan Blystra, which covers Newquay, St Newlyn East, St Columb Minor, Colan, St Wenn and Withiel, is set to take on a new role at the end of October.

The 53-year-old is to become the priest in charge of St Dennis, Roche and Luxulyan and will also be the advocate priest of Par, Charlestown and Treverbyn.

Chris has been a popular figure in the town after becoming the vicar of St Columb Minor and Colan in 2002.

Chris said: “This will be a new role, which I applied for when I saw it come up.

“It fascinated me. I felt like it would be a good fit. It will be a mixture of oversight and hands-on working with some very real communities.

“I’m sad to be leaving Newquay. There have been many good times for me and the town and there have been many challenging times for me and the town.

“Sometimes you need to work out where the next chapter lies as I was doing that this job opportunity came up.”

Chris lives in St Austell and has adapted the family home after his daughter was paralysed in a horse-riding accident.

He said although working closer to home will enable him to help his daughter more it was not the reason for taking up the new role.

Chris said: “We built our own house, which means we can stay together as a family. This new role makes sense geographically with Rosie’s injury as the house has been specially adapted to her and we have no choice but to stay here.

“Rosie is 21 now and is doing great. She will always be a tetraplegic. She is learning to adapt and do more. Her fingers do not work but she makes use of her hands and wrists.

“We give her all the support we can. This new role closer to home will aid her and will improve the family’s quality of life but it is not the reason for taking it on. I just felt St Dennis, Roche and Luxulyan is the right place for me at this time in my life.

“The journey has been great. I’ve had lots of fun in a significant part of my life, and I will always remember it fondly.

“The role in St Dennis, Roche and Luxulyan will be like working in Newquay 20 years ago.

“I achieved a lot in that time, and I was able to make an impact in people’s lives. I feel I will be able to do that again. I think I will be able to do some good.”