Canon David Wyatt, a priest who dedicated more than five decades of his life to the church and people of Salford, has died at the age of 90. He served in the parish of St Paul for over 50 years and, together with his wife, was awarded an MBE for helping the city's homeless.
A deeply trusted community figure
The Bishop of Manchester released a statement following his death, paying tribute to 'a deeply trusted figure in the community' who, he said, brought 'peace and reconciliation'. Canon Wyatt was parish priest at St Paul with Christ Church in Pendleton, near Salford Precinct, after taking charge there in the mid-1960s.
His wife, Helen, passed away in December 2024. Both were known for their selfless charity work and were honoured with MBEs in 2022 for their services to homeless people and to the community of Salford. At the church, they ran a night shelter offering hot meals, washing facilities and beds for the night. They also arranged holidays for children to Anglesey and the Lake District and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, organised food parcel deliveries.
A life of service
Canon Wyatt, who retired in 2024, was also instrumental in the rebuilding of The Church of Ascension in Lower Broughton, Salford, after a fire there in 2017. The Rt Revd Dr David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester, led the tributes after his death on Sunday.
He said: "Canon Wyatt served God and his church in Salford for 55 years with extraordinary faithfulness. He was a deeply trusted figure in the community, caring for those in need, helping to bring peace and reconciliation where relationships had broken down, and offering a visible embodiment of the love of Jesus Christ amongst his people."
"David and his late wife Helen devoted their lives to serving others, and the MBEs they received were a fitting recognition of that lifelong commitment. He will be remembered with great affection and gratitude by all whose lives he touched."
Ministry in Salford
Canon Wyatt MBE was born in 1936 and was ordained as a deacon in 1961 and as a priest in 1962. After serving his curacy in Rochdale, at St Chad's Church, he devoted his ministry to the people of Salford. He served as Rector of St Paul with Christ Church for more than 50 years, became an Honorary Canon of Manchester Cathedral in 1982, and was later appointed Area Dean of Salford.
Alongside these roles, he also served as Priest-in-Charge of St Clement's, Ordsall, and later Priest-in-Charge at the Ascension in Lower Broughton. Funeral details have yet to be confirmed.
