Father Alfred Rebello

People often wonder where the surname Rebello originates from – well it is Portuguese - many of the Catholic communities down the west coast of India have Portuguese surnames.

Father Alf was born in Blackburn, Lancashire in March 1966. He is the youngest of 4 children and was baptised at Sacred Heart Church Blackburn at ten days old by the late Fr Keville.

Fr Alf is a late vocation, he was ordained on the 18^th July 2014 at St John the Evangelist Cathedral Salford, by Bishop Terence Brain. The Cathedral not only serves as the seat of the Bishop of Salford but is also the Mother Church of our Diocese.

Growing up Fr Alf enjoyed his sport and was a daily altar server at Sacred Heart. He was educated by the Marist Fathers at St Mary’s College in Blackburn and the Jesuits at Stonyhurst near Clitheroe. Priesthood, however, was never initially on the horizon for Fr Alf, nor something he really contemplated.

His first career was as a solicitor in East Lancashire, a career that he enjoyed, spending 19 years with one firm and five years with a second firm, before deciding to answer the call to the Priesthood.

On the feast of St Mark in April 2008, Fr Alf was accepted by Bishop Brain as a student for the priesthood. Seminary formation took place over the next 6 years; this included a year at the English College, Valladolid, Spain, two years at Ushaw College near Durham (until it’s closure) and three years at Oscott College Birmingham. After ordination Fr Alf spent 3 years as curate at Our Lady and St Joseph’s in Heywood, 18 months at curate at Salford Cathedral and then join our parish of Corpus Christi Bolton initially as a curate in January 2019 and was asked by Bishop John Arnold to become Parish priest in January 2020.

In his spare time Fr Alf always likes traveling and exploring different cultures. He enjoys most sports, but particularly an long suffering supporter of Blackburn Rovers! He is a former member of Lancashire County Cricket Club.