Michael Seed

Michael Seed (born 1957) is a Catholic priest and Franciscan friar, an author, and former ecumenical advisor to the Archbishops of Westminster Basil Hume and Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

Michael Seed was born in Manchester in 1957, to a young woman called Marie Godwin, and baptised into the Catholic Church as an infant with the names Steven Wayne.

[1] Found to be dyslexic,[1] in 1970 Seed became a pupil at Knowl View residential school for maladjusted children in Rochdale, where he remained for four years.

[4] After leaving school, Seed worked at the Knutsford motorway service station, but was sacked for breakages; he then lost another job in catering.

After the novitiate he went to the SMA's house in New Barnet in north London and attended the then Missionary Institute in Mill Hill, which prepared men of several religious congregations for ministry in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

[1] Seed helped many people, including the politicians Ann Widdecombe and John Gummer and also the Duchess of Kent, in their decision to enter the Roman Catholic Church.

[16] The following year, it was reported that Seed had been suspended by the Society of the Atonement due to financial irregularities and accusations concerning the sale of Papal knighthoods.

"[21] The Roman Catholic peer Lord Alton said at the same time: "I hope that any decision taken about his future will ensure that his wonderful gifts are used in the most productive way.

[21] Seed has written several, books including his autobiographical "Nobody's Child" (2008), which has been described as a "blazing testament to one human's raw courage, and his remarkable ability to finally triumph over the horrors of a stolen childhood.

[26] Cardinal Basil Hume was one of the book's contributors and enjoyed a very close relationship with Michael Seed, who helped him raise funds for the homeless centre The Passage which is still going strong.

[28][20] On 15 July 2009, Seed launched the second volume of his autobiography, Sinners and Saints, at Stringfellows, a party club in London's West End.