My name is Shakeel, I’m 29 years old and I am the priest for St Michael’s Great Oakley and St Peter and St Andrew Corby. I’m married to Cecily, who is also a vicar in West Northamptonshire. We have a four year old yellow Labrador called Aslan, and two rabbits called Easter and Mungo.
I grew up in Southampton in a Christian home and attended a South Asian Church with my family, which later evolved into an international free church.
At 18 years old, I moved to Bristol to study Theology at Trinity College Bristol, a Church of England training college. It was here that I had my first experience of the Church of England. Everything was new to me—the robes, liturgy, incense, the lot. At first, I found it all very strange, but over time, as I became familiar with it and started to understand what was going on, I developed a strong passion and heart for the Church of England. It was also while I was in Bristol that I was first asked if I had ever thought about becoming a vicar. I brushed off these suggestions initially, but eventually, something began to click. Was God calling me to be a vicar?
After three years in Bristol, I moved to Kettering, where I served as an intern at St Andrew’s Church as part of Peterborough Diocese’s Echo Ministry Experience Scheme. During my two years in Kettering, I explored a sense of calling to ordained ministry while gaining experience in church ministry. In April 2019, I was recommended for training and moved to Durham in the autumn to begin training at Cranmer Hall, where I met fellow trainee vicar, Cecily.
After two years in Durham, I moved to Rutland with my new wife, Cecily, to begin my curacy in the Oakham Team. After four years in Rutland, I came to Corby and Great Oakley in March 2025 as interim priest. I love being part of life in Corby. The people are so warm, friendly, and generous. I look forward to getting to know everyone during my time here.
I enjoy playing sports and exercising. I regularly play badminton, go running, and train at the gym. If you play snooker, let me know, as that is my greatest childhood passion. I also enjoy cooking and creating exciting, vibrant new flavours. As a musician, I love playing and producing music, particularly the sound engineering aspect. I love creating videos, shorts, and TikToks to share various insights and reflections about faith. I’m an avid reader with a keen interest in history, philosophy, autobiographies and topics related to leadership, business, and productivity.
As your parish priest, if there is any way I can be of help or support, please get in touch. It would be wonderful to see you on a Sunday or around the community.
Every blessing,
Shakeel