Chilean miners chaplain was a Cornish postman

[POSTMAN]

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/844635-chil ... sh-postman" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Rev Alfredo Cooper, chaplain to the Chilean president, led the prayers at the La Moneda presidential palace for the 33 men.

He gave a thanksgiving service watched by TV viewers worldwide when the miners were found and visited them in hospital following their rescue.

Chilean-born Mr Cooper was a postman in St Austell in the 1970s after his family moved to Cornwall, where they still live. He spent four months delivering mail in St Blazey and Par and also worked as a window cleaner.

He was appointed chaplain to the president Sebastian Pinera in January.

‘For 17 days, we prayed and then the miracle came,’ said Mr Cooper, 60, who was by Mr Pinera’s side when the last of the miners was winched to safety last Thursday after two months underground.

He said he has fond memories of Cornwall and would return from Bible college in London to visit his mother, Winnie Hudson, stepfather Tom Hudson and sisters, Sally and Emily.

‘The churches are great, the countryside is beautiful and the Cornish folk are wonderful,’ he said.

He still leads prayers at St Austell Parish Church when he is over from Chile. He next plans to visit Britain in February.

Church member Ralph Uren said: ‘I get excited when he comes to visit. I would say God used him mightily in Chile.’