Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
Fr John Roderick ('Derrick') Long
was born in Dublin on 13 November 1934. He was educated at the Convent of
Mercy, Loughrea, County Galway, St Brendan’s National School, Loughrea, and St Joseph’s College, Garbally
Park, Ballinasloe. He entered St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan, County Meath, in September 1953 and was ordained priest on 21
December 1959.
Father Derrick’s first appointment was
to Burma (now Myanmar), but while he awaited a visa he served as temporary dean at the
Templeogue house of studies in Dublin. When his visa came through, he left for
Burma in October 1962. There he worked with Fr Jim Fisher as the latter ran
a procure in Rangoon (now Yangon) for various Catholic groups working in Burma. However, Father Derrick was expelled from there in 1966 when the military government put
further restrictions on missionaries.
His next appoinment was to the
Philippines where he served from 1967 to 1995. He was part of the Columban
group who served in the Dioceses of Lingayen/Alaminos. So at various times he
served in Sual, Labrador and in the sub-parishes of Lingayen. A serious,
determined pastor, he is remembered as a frequent visitor to all the families
in his various assignments.
There followed an appointment to
mission promotion in Australia. He served in Perth from 1995 to 1998, and then
in Brisbane from 1998 to 2006. Mission promotion work involved visiting more
than two hundred parishes to preach at Sunday Masses and visit Columban
supporters. After 2006 he spent the next five years in semi-retirement in
Brisbane while always willing to help out in neighbouring parishes.
Sandgate is the suburb of Brisbane where the Columban house is located.
Father Derrick was a shy person but
constantly overcame that shyness to fulfil his missionary tasks. As his health
began to fail he returned to Ireland in 2011, was confined to the St Columban’s
Retirement Home from early January 2015, and he died there on 13th September.
May he rest in peace.
Obituary by Fr Cyril Lovett
Crucifix, Dalgan Park Cemetery
Salve, Regína, mater misericórdiae
vita, dulcédo et spes nostra, salve
Ad te clamámus, éxules fílii Evae.
Ad te suspirámus, geméntes et flentes
in hac lacrimárum valle.
Eia ergo, advocáta nostra,
illos tuos misericórdes óculos
ad nos convérte.
Et Jesum, benedíctum frucum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsílium osténde
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo María.
Last Saturday, 8 July, Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, Assistant Secretary at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican, ordained Fr Philip Mulryne OP to the priesthood in St Saviour's Church in the heart of Dublin.
The new priest has an unusual, though not unique, background in that he is a former professional footballer, having played for Manchester United and a number of other British soccer clubs between 1997 and 2009, and for Northern Ireland 27 times during that period.
Father Philip entered St Malachy's Seminary in his native Belfast in 2009 to study philosophy in preparation for becoming a priest in the Diocese of Down and Connor, which includes that city. But while studying theology in Rome he felt a call to the Dominican Order and joined their novitiate in Cork in 2012.
On Saturday 15 July Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP will ordain his fellow Dominican, Brother Robert Krishna, to the priesthood. Brother Robert's story is a little more unusual than that of his newly-ordained confrere. He is from India and his journey led him from Hinduism to atheism to agnosticism to Anglicanism in Australia and, finally to Catholicism.
The Catholic Weeklyreport [my emphases added] says:
Around this time, Br Robert encountered some Catholics at Sydney University.
One thing which impressed him was the fact that there were many young Catholics who were happy in living what the Church teaches.
“I was converted through their example and conversations, rather than through their arguments” he said.
Of the latter, one which sticks out was the exasperated comment of the chaplaincy convenor at the time, Robert Haddad: “You’re never going to get all the answers to all your objections, and at some stage, you need to make a leap of faith.”
It was a throwaway line, but it contains a truth which bothered Br Robert until it ended up convincing him. He was received into the Church in 2003 and confirmed a year later by then-Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, who had just been ordained a Bishop. Robert Haddad was his confirmation sponsor.
God always speaks to us through those happy in living what the Church teaches. And so often God speaks to us through a throwaway line. I remember one such line by Brother Finn, a Christian Brother, in religion class one day when I was in secondary school. Only the best fellows join the Columbans, he said. He had no idea that I was considering becoming a Columban priest. He was referring to former students of his who had taken that step. His throwaway line encouraged me.
St Saviour's Church, Dominick St, Dublin[Wikimedia]
The seed of my own vocation to the priesthood was perhaps sown in this church, where Fr Mulryne was ordained last Saturday. My father loved the solemnity of the High Mass and often took me to one on days such as Easter Monday and Whit (Pentecost) Monday, sometimes to the Dominican church in Dominick Street and sometimes to the Capuchin church in Church Street (St Mary of the Angels). Dubliners usually refer to their churches by the name of the street that they are on rather than on the patronal name. As a child I did not particularly appreciate the High Mass.
Whenever my mother took us 'into town' - the city centre - we usually went by Church Street and would drop in to say a prayer. Occasionally she would take the longer walk and go by Dominick Street where we would also drop in and say a prayer. I remember when I was six or seven being attracted by the white habit of the Dominican friars I saw. Looking back I know that the seed of my vocation was being sown there, though I wasn't aware of it. However when at 13 and 14 I began to seriously think of the priesthood I never considered the Dominicans. But I am grateful to God for the part that they, and my parents, played in my own faith and vocation journey.
A year ago Archbishop Robert Rivas OP of the Diocese of Castries in the Caribbean ordained eight Dominican priests in St Saviour's Church.
Fr Gerard Dunne OP, the vocation director of the Dominicans for many years, gives some ideas on why the Order is attracting men leading successful professional lives in an article by Doreen Carvajal published in The New York Times in 2013, For Friars, Finding Renewal by Sticking to Tradition.
'Sticking to Tradition' did not preclude the Irish Dominicans from being ahead of almost every other order and congregation in Ireland in evangelising 'this digital continent', as Pope Benedict called the internet. May God continue to bless them and, through them, the Church, especially in Ireland and in Australia.
Keith Francis Gorman was born in Brisbane, Queensland,
on January 21, 1920, an only son between two sisters. In 1937 he came to St Columban’s, Essendon, where he did his Spiritual Year and Philosophy. Then in
1940 he went to St Columban’s Seminary in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, to do Theology as
WWII prevented him from travelling to Ireland. He was the first Australian Columban seminarian to do this but he was joined by others the following year. He was
ordained in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Buffalo, New York, USA, on 18 December 1943 by
Bishop John Aloysius Duffy.
Church of the Assumption, Yakatamachi, Wakayama City[Source]
In 1944 Father Keith returned
to Australia and worked in a number of parishes until 1948 when he was
appointed to China but this was changed to Japan after a few months in
Shanghai. He studied the Japanese language in Yokohama and was then appointed as
pastor at the parish of Chigasaki, Diocese of Yokohama. After vacation in 1955
he was appointed pastor at Yakatamachi in Wakayama City.
Fr Barry Cairns, a New Zealander, writes about his experience as a young priest in Yakatamachi with Father Keith here.
In 1964 Father Keith was
appointed to the Australia - New Zealand Region, stationed at first at the Columban House in
Toowong, Brisbane. Then he did parish supplies for three years and Columban
promotion in the Archdiocese of Perth. This was followed by a few years
as Bursar at the seminary in Turramurra, New South Wales, and then as Vocations Coordinator in
the state of New South Wales.
Father Keith the gardener
In 1975 Father Keith began a
ministry to the aged as chaplain at Nazareth House Aged Care, Turramurra. After
a sabbatical and some studies in the subject of ageing he continued in this
ministry as chaplain to the retired Presentation Sisters at Windsor in
Melbourne. Around the same time he helped to found ROTA - Religious
of the Third Age - a social and spiritual organisation for retired Religious.
During this period he wrote a number of articles on the theme of ageing,
some of which were printed in The Far East.
Father Keith himself retired
to St Columban’s, Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, in 1997 and was a lively and cheerful presence
there until a fall in September 2012 resulted in hospitalisation and a
subsequent move to Mercy Place Aged Care, Parkville.
'A humble man with time and respect for everyone'
He is remembered
as a humble man who always had time and respect for everyone. He excluded no
one. He was fun-loving and always ready to laugh, share a joke – even one on
himself – and join in whatever was going on. In one of his articles he wrote
that his idea of heaven was having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of
eternity, following the scene in John 21. May he be enjoying that breakfast now.
'Having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity' [1:57 - 2:50] From The Gospel of John directed by Philip Saville.
I met Father Keith on my first visit to Australia in May 1990 in St Columban's Seminary, Turramurra, near Sydney, which is now closed. I was struck by his delightful personality and sense of humour. I remember him laughing when I quipped that he had been ordained so long ago - the year I was born - that the ceremony had been in Aramaic! I met him again in Essendon in 2009 when I was doing mission appeals in Melbourne. While I was there he won a very large TV in a raffle in a nearby Anglican parish and his delight was utterly childlike when it was delivered.
And what a beautiful image of heaven he had: Having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity.
The light of heaven upon Father Keith - and may we all join him with Jesus for breakfast on the shores of eternity when our time comes!
Fr Vincent Batchelor died in Box
Hill Hospital in Melbourne on 28 May at around 5:30pm in his 96th
year. He had been living in Nazareth Care Camberwell, under the care of the Sisters of Nazareth. Camberwell is a suburb of Melbourne. Father Vincent had a fall after which the staff decided
to send him to hospital for observation. The doctor suspected that the fall was
brought on by a heart attack. He had been visited by his sister Mary and niece and Fr Ray Scanlon who kept in constant contact with him and with Fr Gary Walker, the
Regional Director of the Columbans in Australia and New Zealand, that afternoon. He died shortly after they left.
Vincent Batchelor was the fifth child in his family of five
brothers and four sisters who grew up in Cohuna, in country Victoria on the
Victorian side of the Murray River.
He joined the Columbans in 1938 and did his
Spiritual Year and philosophy at St Columban’s, Essendon (above), a suburb of Melbourne, but had to travel to St Columban's, Omaha, Nebraska, USA (below), for theology in 1941 where he was ordained on 21 December 1944.
On returning to Australia Fr Vincent held a
variety of roles: Asian students' chaplain, parish work, Director of Spiritual
Year for Columban seminarians. In 1967 he was appointed to Fiji where he stayed for 40 years serving in
parishes, as a teacher and chaplain to Xavier College in Ba and chaplain to
the De Montfort Brothers who took over Xavier College from the Columbans. His
work as a hospital chaplain was legendary. He returned to Australia and retired
to St Columban’s, Essendon, until he needed nursing care.
He had little interest in money or
possessions and once sold his car after a cyclone in Fiji to buy food and
essentials for people who had lost everything. He was clear in his desire to be
a missionary, always willing to accept whatever appointment was asked of him.
He was childlike in the best sense and God’s word was revealed in him as the
many emails we have received testify.
Funeral Mass
His funeral was on Thursday morning 2 June at the chapel in St Columban’s, Essendon; he was buried in the Columban plot at Melbourne
General Cemetery. His coffin was wrapped in ‘tapa’ a traditional barkcloth used in the Pacific on important occasions such as burial. Fijian people sang hymns at the chapel and the
graveside. It was very appropriate. May he rest in peace.
Burial
Singing during Mass, Fiji
Obituary by Fr Gary Walker, Columban Regional Director, Australia and New Zealand.
Renante and Christine Alejo-Uy with Kiefer Thomas,
their first born in 2007. At the time Renante and Christine were active members
of Couples for Christ in Bacolod City, Philippines
The cover of Misyon, now MISYONonline.com, the magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines, November-December 2007.
Now every year the
parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.And when he was twelve years old, they
went up as usual for the festival.When the festival was ended and they
started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents
did not know it.Assuming
that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they
started to look for him among their relatives and friends.When they did not find him, they returned
to Jerusalem to search for him.After
three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening
to them and asking them questions.And all who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers.When his parentssaw him they were
astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like
this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”He said to them, “Why were you searching
for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Today is
the Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. On 19 March
the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. Today's gospel refers to Joseph and Mary as
the parents of Jesus. Mary says reproachfully to her
Son, Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great
anxiety. To the puzzlement of both Mary and Joseph, Jesus replies, Did
you not know that I must be in my Father's house?
St
Matthew shows clearly the role of St Joseph in the life of Jesus: An angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, An
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is
from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins”(Matthew 1:20-21).
Joseph's
first responsibility was to be the husband of Mary and, as such, was to name
her Son, thereby becoming his legal father. In some paintings of the Nativity
St Joseph is a background figure, or partly hidden in the dark, but clearly
protective of Jesus and Mary, and in an attitude of worship towards the Infant.
The Greek-born Doménikos Theotokópoulos, (1541 – 7 April 1614) who settled in Toledo, Spain, as a young man where he became known as 'El Greco', 'The Greek', captures the role of St Joseph as a protective parent.
As a child I saw my parents as my father and mother. Now I remember them not only as that but as a married couple. And sometimes I think that the Church over-emphasises the importance of the family at the expense of marriage, which is the foundation of the family. St Joseph's primary responsibility was to be the husband of Mary and, as such, to be the one known as the father of Jesus, even though Mary's Son wasn't his.
And in today's gospel Mary painfully discovers that, in a sense, he isn't hers either, as he says, Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? At the beginning of his adolescence Jesus was, in his humanity, coming in touch with his heavenly Father's will. The mystery of Jesus being both God and Man is something we cannot fathom. St Paul says that Jesus though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6).
But this incident shows us that Mary and Joseph as parents suffered the same pain that every parent of an adolescent goes through. They were learning that they did not 'own' Jesus, that they would have to let him go at some stage.
I recall some incidents involving my father. One was when I was no more that three, possibly only two. Like St Joseph, he was a carpenter and made a little saddle that he put on the crossbar of his bicycle, on which he went to work every morning. I recall him taking me for a 'spin', probably on a Saturday afternoon, in the area where we lived at the time, I sitting joyfully on the little wooden saddle he had made. It's like a photo in my mind that captures a moment of delight between father and son.
Then when I was around ten he taught me how to ride a bicycle. I borrowed that of a cousin a little older than me. Dad held the back of the saddle tightly so that I wouldn't lose balance and stayed with me patiently. Then at a certain point I realised that he wasn't holding it anymore and that I was moving forward without falling. He knew when to let go.
He taught me how to swim around that same time, with the same approach. He gave me a sense of security - but didn't cling on when I didn't need that kind of security anymore.
My parents taught me what trust was by trusting me. In Ireland the symbol of adulthood was - and maybe still is, I don't know - the key to the house. I was given the key when I was only 13. None of my friends had that privilege. Even on one occasion three years later when I came home very late on my bicycle from a dance and they were waiting at the door sick with worry - nobody on our street had a telephone and mobile phones probably weren't even in the imaginations of science-fiction writers - all I got was a well-deserved scolding. They still trusted me to use my key responsibly.
I saw too that on occasions when there might be a combination of heat and coldness in their relationship for a few days, they still took care of each other. After attending a very early Mass Dad would come home, prepare my mother's breakfast and bring it to her in bed before heading off for work. And when he came home in the evening his dinner would be always ready. I remember his amusement on the only occasion in their married life when my mother didn't have it ready. She had been delayed by something unexpected and was really embarrassed. Dad just laughed.
In Worldwide Marriage Encounter one of the things we emphasise is that Love is a Decision. It's not a feeling, though feelings are related to it, of course. I saw that in my parents' lives and I also saw that they made important decisions together. One example was when I was 13. My father was asked to take on a job for six months in a town in the south of Ireland. This meant that he would be able to come home only one weekend per month. I know that my parents discussed this thoroughly and also spoke to us, their two sons, about it, before deciding that Dad should take on the job.
This cartoon, which I found on a friend's Facebook, captures in a humorous way what Love is a Decision means. (I think that the cartoon has been been to many places in cyberspace.)
As I look back now, I see clearly that my parents were husband and wife first, and father and mother second. That did not mean that they saw parenthood as being of lesser importance but that they saw it as being a consequence of being married. I think they had their priorities right.
The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us that marriage is the root of the family. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”(Matthew 1:20-21).
The liturgical Season of Christmas continues until the Feast of The Baptism of the Lord on Sunday 10 January. The Huron Carol was written by St Jean de Brébeuf SJ in 1623 and set to a French folk tune. Jesse Edgar Middleton translated it into English in 1926. St Jean, a Frenchman, was martyred in Canada on 16 March 1649
Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead; Before their light the stars grew dim and wondering hunters heard the hymn, Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found; A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round But as the hunter braves drew nigh the angel song rang loud and high Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
O children of the forest free, O seed of Manitou The holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you. Come kneel before the radiant boy who brings you beauty peace and joy. Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
St Jean de Brébeuf, Martyrs' Shrine, Midland, Ontario, Canada [Wikipedia]
Canada celebrates Christmas in the depths of winter but Australia celebrates it in high summer. Just now I came across this delightful Australian carol, The Three Drovers, composed in 1948 by John Wheeler and William G. James. These drovers would be the Australian counterparts of the shepherds who went to the stable in Bethlehem on the first Christmas night.
Across the plains one Christmas night Three drovers riding blithe and gay, Looked up and saw a starry light More radiant than the Milky Way; And on their hearts such wonder fell, They sang with joy. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!'
The air was dry with summer heat, And smoke was on the yellow moon; But from the heavens, faint and sweet, Came floating down a wond'rous turn; And as they heard, they sang full well Those drovers three. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!'
The black swans flew across the sky, The wild dog called across the plain, The starry lustre blazed on high, Still echoed on the heavenly strain; And still they sang, 'Noel! Noel!' Those drovers three. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!'
