A CATHOLIC priest from Reading flew to Afghanistan this month to spend four months ministering to troops in Helmand province.

Monsignor John Nelson, who is in charge of the Church of the English Martyrs in west Reading and St Joseph’s in Tilehurst, is a chaplain in the Army Reserve and was last in Afghanistan in 2011.

Monsignor Nelson, who is in his 50s, wrote in his parish newsletter: “Having completed the mandatory three weeks of training before deployment, I’m travelling out from Brize Norton and next weekend will be celebrating Mass for soldiers, both British and American, around the base at Camp Bastion in Helmand.

“Things there are different from when I was out there three years ago as troops are concentrated at Bastion – instead of being located at numerous Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and Patrol Bases (PBs).

“Although the end of our time in Afghanistan is within sight, there is still a lot going on out there as the handover to the Afghan National Security Forces is completed and the huge quantity of equipment we have in theatre is packed for transport back to the UK. We still have over 3,000 troops based there so I expect to be fairly busy.

“I still don’t have a date for my return but I am hoping to be back by the end of July or early August. Although separated by a few thousand miles, you will be in my thoughts and prayers.”