MEMBERS of St Boniface Roman Catholic Church have been celebrating after their priest was awarded an MSc from the University of Exeter.

Father Darline Joseph Marianathan (pictured left) has been awarded the MSc in psychology.

His research on leadership, using quantitative research methods, was the first of its kind to use such techniques in the field as far as records held by UK Research Records can ascertain.

This is Father Darline's second MSc, the first being in applied psychology. He is now moving on to a PhD in psychology at Exeter.

Many of his friends and parishioners were on hand to congratulate him after a recent Sunday Mass.