Celebrating their Golden Jubilees...

We offer our congratulations to four men who made their religious profession 50 years ago today (3rd September)!

Fr. Michael Henesy C.Ss.R.

Fr. Anthony Hunt C.Ss.R.

Fr. Philip Jones C.Ss.R. 

and

Fr Kevin McEwan C.Ss.R.

Fr Michael Henesy C.Ss.R., offers the following reflection...

Fifty Years

Looking back over my fifty years as a Redemptorist my overwhelming emotion is one of gratitude. It’s difficult to put into words how blessed my life has been.

Before joining the Redemptorists I worked as a professional musician, playing saxophone and clarinet in dance bands. When I decided to try my vocation as a Redemptorist, full of fervour and idealism, I sold my musical instruments telling myself that putting my musical life behind me was a sacrifice I would have to make and was willing to make. In the event it turned out that as a Redemptorist I had much more opportunity to develop my musical talents than I ever had before. As a student I was made choir master and had the opportunity not only to perform with the choir but to arrange and compose music for them.

Throughout my Redemptorist life that pattern has been repeated. Time and again I have been given the opportunity to do things I could never have done anywhere else. I spent twenty years at Redemptorist publications and during that time had the opportunity to work as a religious journalist, as a cartoonist and as a radio producer, overseeing the religious output at a local radio station. I had the opportunity to set up a recording studio producing sound-cassettes to help priests with their Sunday homilies and with marriage preparation. Later, like most Redemptorists, I also had the opportunity to work on parish missions and school missions, and to serve the parishes at Erdington Abbey (for six years) and St Patrick’s, Edinburgh (for ten years).

Along the way there have inevitably been one or two difficult periods. But I have had the great privilege of living and working with fellow Redemptorists whose support and encouragement have always been there for me.

The greatest privilege any of us has as priests is the opportunity to meet and to get to know so many wonderful people - particularly if we work on a parish. Over the past fifty years I have been blessed with the friendship, warmth and affection of numerous people who have brought, and continue to bring, great joy to my life.

So, for my fifty years as a Redemptorist - Deo Gratias!