Parish team

Meet the Parish Team

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

Parish priest

Hi folks! I am James (McTavish), the parish priest of the Church of the Most Sacred Heart in Ruislip. I am a missionary priest of the Verbum Dei community and spent 18 years in South-east Asia, mainly in the Philippines but on my missionary travels I have been to Japan, Malaysia, Colombia, Mexico, Cameroon and other places including Rome. By profession I am a surgeon and worked in the NHS before our good Lord, the Divine physician and good Doctor, called me to serve Him. I have enjoyed sharing the Word of God as well as teaching moral theology and bioethics. I am delighted to be working in the Diocese of Westminster and in this parish. “God did not give us a spirit of timidity!” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fr Vic

Assistant Priest

Hello everyone. I am Victoriano (Caritos) but you can call me “Vic”. I am so happy to serve in this parish. I am originally from Cebu, Philippines and most recently was assigned in Rome. My background is in teaching Maths so looking forward to see how the Lord multiplies the five loaves and two fish that we offer. Looking forward also to meeting you all! “The joy of the Lord will be your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10b)

Anne O'Connor

Parish Administrator

I first joined the Most Sacred Heart Parish in 1991 and became the Parish Administrator in 2013. In this role, I support the day-to-day operations of the parish, working closely with our clergy, staff, and parishioners to help ensure everything runs smoothly. My goal is to create a welcoming, efficient environment where all feel supported in their faith journey.

Siobhan Denny

Pastoral Youth Worker

I have been working at Sacred Heart since 2015 as the Youth Worker but have been attending mass at the parish since I was just a one year old!

Since the age of 8 I have been an altar server and now I am one of the parish MC’s. This parish ministry sustained me through my teenage years and gave me lifelong friendships with likeminded people. I now serve alongside my son.

I also currently work as a school chaplain at St Bernard’s Grammar school.

After studying Theology and Religious studies at University and volunteering as a girl guides leader I found that I have a passion for accompanying young people on their faith journey. One of my favourite experiences with young people is taking them to Lourdes on the Diocesan pilgrimage.

My faith and outlook on life is inspired by my parents and godfather. I enjoy listening to reflections and explanations on various religious topics from Fr Mike Schmitz.

My email is siobhandenny@rcdow.org.uk

Daniela Bourke

Catechetical Coordinator

I have been a member of the Most Sacred Heart Parish since 2009 and was delighted to be appointed as the parish Catechetical Coordinator in September 2023. With over 15 years of experience in working with children as a special educational needs teaching assistant, I have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with, motivating and helping children of all ages to learn. In 2020 I trained for the postgraduate certificate in education and qualified as a Modern Foreign Languages teacher in June 2021.

I am dedicated to nurturing spiritual growth and guiding children and young adults through their sacraments. In my role, I coordinate and develop catechetical programmes working closely with volunteer catechists and the parish priest to ensure effective religious education. I am passionate about fostering a deep understanding of the Catholic faith within the community.

Outside of these duties, I enjoy singing choral music and have been a co-director for the parish’s senior choir since 2009 and set up a children’s choir which has been running since 2017. Through the ministry of music, my connection with the faith and with parishioners has been enriched. I remain committed in my new role to guiding our young people through their journey of faith.

My email is danielabourke@rcdow.org.uk

Yvonne Hillier

Parish Safeguarding Rep

I am a parishioner of Most Sacred Heart, Ruislip since 1999 . Over the years, I have had the opportunity to nurture my own sons in their faith and witness them celebrate the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation here.

I have undertaken the voluntary role of Parish Safeguarding Representative (PSR) since January 2022 , with the aim of creating safe environments in conjunction with the Parish Team , to ensure everyone can participate in parish activities happily and safely; especially those considered vulnerable including: children, young people, and adults at risk.

The main areas of a PSR’s work involve:

Reporting and Responding to all Safeguarding concerns
Safer Recruitment of volunteers (including DBS applications)
Creating a Safe environment in your parish
Promoting a Culture of Safeguarding in parishes

I can be contacted via email as follows; ruislipsg2@safeguardrcdow.org.uk

Yvonne