A RESIDENT of a care home in Eastcote travelled to The Vatican to meet the Pope.

Father Richard George Dangerfield, 85, of Care UK’s Whitby Dene care home in Whitby Road, received a blessing.

Father George has been a Roman Catholic priest and teacher for the past 50 years and, after making a wish through Whitby Dene’s ‘Wishing Tree’ to receive a blessing from Pope Francis, the care home worked hard to make his dream become a reality.

Home manager Saad Baig helped him to write a letter for the Archbishop of Westminster, leader of the Catholic Church in England, to pass on to the Vatican.

Once the request had been accepted, the team at Whitby Dene got busy organising the trip.

Father George and Saad travelled to the Vatican for two days, where they attended the Papal Audience and afterwards Father George had the rare opportunity to meet Pope Francis and receive a blessing from him.

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Father George, who is living with dementia, often struggles with his day-to-day memory.

However, when he arrived in Rome he knew exactly where he was and even helped educate Saad Baig about the significance of statues and the robes worn.

Saad said: “Residents are at the heart of everything we do here at Whitby Dene, and our wishing tree is a fantastic way to understand what’s really important to residents – and help them to make their dreams come true.

“This was no ordinary wish, but we were determined to take on the challenge and we’re thrilled we could make this a reality for Father George.

“It was incredible to see him light up. He was thrilled to meet the Pope. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved and I am so pleased we were able to make Father George’s wish come true.”

Father George was ordained as a priest in 1956 and ran choirs in a number of Central London schools and also worked at Douay Martyrs School and Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, where he taught music and religious education.

Since the priest moved to Whitby Dene last September, Saad and the team at the care home have ensured they understood the Catholic faith and could support him at his new home.