BISHOPS and Lord Patel of Bradford have sent words of praise and condolence following the tragic death of a popular minister and law courts chaplain.

Rev Moina Bernard, died from a suspected heart attack on Tuesday after suffering breathing difficulties which forced her to halt her Sunday sermon at St Peter's Church, Shipley, where she was associate minister.

Nick Baines, Bishop of West Yorkshire and the Dales, knew Rev Bernard from his time as Bishop of Bradford and said: "Moina gave herself fully to serving others through the church and in the courts, putting her own comfort behind the needs of others.

"She was a faithful follower of Jesus and servant of people.

"Her early death is tragic, but she trusted in the God of resurrection."

Professor Lord Patel is president of Bradford Court Chaplaincy Service and together with its chairman Mary Carroll paid the following tribute: "Trustees and all members of the Bradford Court Chaplaincy Team were greatly shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic and untimely death of our Chaplain, Rev Moina Bernard on Tuesday this week.

"We are all still trying hard to come to terms with such an unexpected and devastating loss.

"Moina was a much-loved and well-respected member of the Court Chaplaincy team and had been with us, as part-time Chaplain, since November 2012.

"During her time with us, she made a very valuable contribution to our work in a very thoughtful and unassuming way.

"She supported a huge number of people and did much to consolidate and extend our service.

"Her influence was especially noticed in her work with our Team Leader, Ruth Smith, to refine and develop our Volunteer Training programme.

"Moina was also greatly involved in creating an effective partnership with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) to provide prompt and effective support for clients who were in danger of receiving custodial sentences for non-payment of fines or Council tax.

"Many of these were vulnerable and isolated women.

"More recently she had begun work with the Probation Service to provide continuation support to offenders leaving custody.

"Trustees have written to extend our deepest sympathies to her brother.

"We are also aware that, as an ordained Anglican Priest, Moina also served as Associate Minister at St. Peter’s, Shipley.

"We appreciate that the vicar, Rev John Rainer, and the church community of St Peter’s will find it hard to come to terms with the loss of such a hard-working and inspiring young minister.

""We extend our most sincere condolences to all at St Peter’s. "Clearly, Moina will be greatly missed by everyone in the Chaplaincy team and by the court community as a whole.

"It will be very difficult to fill her shoes but we know that she would wish our vital work to continue; we aim to honour Moina's memory by continuing the work in which she made a dedicated and significant contribution."

Bishop of Bradford The Bishop of Bradford, Rt Revd Toby Howarth said: "Moina will be missed as a much-loved and greatly valued priest, in her roles as Courts Chaplain in Bradford as well as supporting the church's ministry at St Peter's in Shipley.

"I was shocked to hear of her death, and my thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and colleagues."

Rev Rainer of St Peter's gave details of Rev Bernard's life and said she would be deeply missed in a statemetn of behalf of his church:

"Moina was born in Leicester but had been associated with St Peter’s Shipley all her adult life. She led various Sunday school and youth groups there in the 1970s and 1980s whilst working as a florist.

"In 1991 she joined the missionary organization Youth With a Mission (YWAM) working mostly at their UK Headquarters in Sussex for more than ten years.

"During this time much of her financial support came from St Peter’s Shipley as she prepared young mission partners for postings in many different areas of the world and was able to make several visits to India during this time.

"Returning to Bradford in 2006 Moina began to investigate ordained ministry and spent two years training at Cranmer Hall, Durham from 2007.

"Upon ordination at Bradford Cathedral in 2009 she became self-supporting assistant curate at Tong and Holme Wood with Canon Gordon Dey.

"During this curacy she was offered the part-time post of Chaplain to Bradford’s Courts, becoming responsible for the training of Chaplaincy volunteers from all over the Bradford district.

"She moved back to Shipley and to St Peter’s in 2013 after Gordon Dey’s retirement, but continuing her work in the Courts. At St Peter’s she has had a significant role in developing pastoral care and will be greatly missed by many.

"She has left a legacy of love and care wherever she has ministered; the church and the City of Bradford have lost a valued and talented pastor."

Rev Rainer said St Peter's Facebook page had received 1,600 condolence messages within 24 hours of Rev Bernard's death and added that no details are available as yet for her funeral, although it will be at St Peter’s, Shipley.