Philip Crosfield facts for kids

George Philip Chorley Crosfield (born September 9, 1924 – died March 13, 2013) was an important Anglican priest in the late 20th century. He was known for his work in education and helping young people. He also received an award called the OBE, which stands for Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for his contributions.

Early Life and Education

George Crosfield was born in 1924. He went to school at George Watson's College in Edinburgh. Later, he studied at Selwyn College, which is part of Cambridge University.

Serving in the War

During World War II, George Crosfield served in the Royal Artillery. He was part of the army and saw action in Normandy in 1944 and Germany in 1945. After the war, he was sent to India.

Becoming a Priest

After his time in the army, George Crosfield became a priest in 1952. He started his career as a curate, which is a junior priest, at St David's Church in Pilton, Edinburgh. Later, he worked at St. Andrew's Church in St. Andrews. While there, he was also the Anglican chaplain for the university students. This means he was a priest who supported the students. It was at St. Andrew's that he met his future wife, Susan Martin.

Rector and School Chaplain

In 1955, George Crosfield became the Rector of St Cuthbert's Church in Hawick. A rector is the main priest in charge of a church. He and Susan were married in the summer of 1956.

After five years, Crosfield was asked to become the Chaplain at Gordonstoun School. This is a famous school in Scotland. His time there was special because the young Prince Charles (who is now King Charles III) also arrived at the school. George Crosfield helped prepare Prince Charles for his confirmation, which is an important religious ceremony.

Leading St Mary's Cathedral

In 1968, George Crosfield moved to St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh. He became a Vice-Provost and a Canon Residentiary. These are important roles within a cathedral.

In 1970, he became the Provost of the Cathedral. The Provost is like the head of the cathedral. He held this important position for 20 years until he retired.

Helping Young People and Music

During his time at St Mary's Cathedral, George Crosfield started two very important projects:

St. Mary's Music School

He founded St Mary's Music School in 1972. This school grew out of the cathedral's choir school. It was created to help talented young musicians. A famous violinist named Yehudi Menuhin was the patron of the school, which means he supported it and helped it become well-known.

St. Mary's Cathedral Workshop

In the 1980s, George Crosfield was very concerned about young people who couldn't find jobs. To help, he set up the St. Mary's Cathedral Workshop. This workshop helped to repair the old Victorian cathedral building. At the same time, it trained young people to become stonemasons. This helped them learn valuable skills and kept old building trades alive that were in danger of being forgotten.

Retirement

After retiring, George Crosfield moved to Penicuik, near Edinburgh. He continued to work as a priest, helping out at St. James the Less Episcopal Church. He passed away on March 13, 2013.