Fr Thomas Nolan RIP

On Monday, October 17^th 1960, Father Thomas Nolan died suddenly at Clapham aged 63.

Father Nolan was professed 15^th October 1917, and was ordained September 24^th 1922. During his priestly life he was active in giving missions and retreats extensively in many different parts of England, Scotland and Wales. These last few years he was assigned to work on the parish of St Mary’s Clapham. A few days before his death he was under the doctor for treatment having complained of pain and numbness in his leg, but he seemed to have recovered from this when suddenly he collapsed and died about midday.

Brother Francis (Peter Graham) 1889-1983

Brother Francis died, aged 94 in St Raphael’s Nursing home Bromley Kent on Sunday 17^th November 1983

He was born in Byermoor, Co Durham in 1889. He made his religious profession as a Redemptorist in 1918 at the age of 29. He spent the last 65 years of his life in the most unobtrusive way, praying and serving his brother Redemptorists and God’s people through humble service. For most of his life he was either cook or refectorian in many of our houses in Britain, though he did spend 9 years working in Pretoria, South Africa. His last community was St. Mary’s Clapham from where he was buried. May he rest in peace.

(Obituary based on that published in CSsR News)

Brother Gerard (James McMorrow) 1909 – 1984

Br Gerard died at St Mary’s Kinnoull on Tuesday 10^th January 1984

Born in Cowdenbeath, Fife, he was a miner before joining the Redemptorists. He was professed in 1938 at the age of 29, and worked as a sacristan for the best part of his 45 years in the Congregation. The three principal houses in which he served were St Mary’s Clapham, St Mary’s Kinnoull and the church of Sant’ Alfonso, Rome.

The following is an extract from the Kinnoull house chronicles.

"Thus for twenty years, Gerard has been a devoted servant of this community. A man of strictness and punctuality, he suffered anything except confreres who would not try to live by the rule of the Congregation of which he was fond. He leaves a gap in our community that can never be filled. However, we know that we have another saint praying for us in heaven…"

His one delight (relaxation) was to play the mouth organ in his room – a talent he rarely shared. Another talent and part of his work as sacristan was flower arranging.

During his last weeks, Gerard got great consolation from knowing that Jesus had suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and this was the theme of his praying in those last days. As his pain increased, he became a little irritable and on one occasion, Br Majella (his devoted nurse) said to him “You were never like this (irritable) before.” “Ah no”, he replied with a twinkle in his eye, “but I was never dying before1”

Both Bishop Logan and Bishop Hart attended the funeral of Br Gerard along with twenty priests who concelebrated Mass. May he rest in peace.

(Obituary based on that published in CSsR News)

Fr Patrick Kenny (1906-1984)

Fr Patrick Kenny died peacefully at St Benet’s Sunderland on Thursday, February 23^rd, aged 77.

Fr Kenny was born in Willington Quay, Wallsend in 1906. After grammar school, he entered the Redemptorists and was professed in 1925 and ordained five years later at Hawkstone Hall, Shropshire on September 8^th 1930. He studied for two years in Rome, where he obtained a degree in theology.

It was in Hawkstone, teaching dogmatic theology, that Fr Kenny spent the best part of his life – thirty years in all. The majority of the Redemptorist priests in this country (as of 1984) were his students.

After leaving teaching and Hawkstone, Fr Kenny went to Wales to work on the Travelling Mission for two years, before going to St Benet’s Sunderland in 1972 to work on the parish. He stayed there for the rest of his life except for two years in Bishop’s Stortford (’76 – ’78).

In 1980, he celebrated his golden jubilee of priesthood.

Fr Kenny was buried on February 28^th after a splendid concelebrated Mass in St Benet’s at which  Bishop Owen Swindlehurst was the principal celebrant and Fr Frank Dickinson preached. The interment was at Mere Knoll’s cemetery, Sunderland

May he rest in peace

(Obituary based on that published in CSsR News)