Tribute to Fr Kevin Scanlon

Antonia Moffatt writes: It is with great sadness that I share the news of the sudden death of dear Fr Kevin Scallon. Although I was totally unprepared, at the great age of 80 years, it seems it was Fr Kevin's time to go home to his beloved Lord and Saviour and to meet Our Blessed Mother, St Joseph & St Patrick who he has served so faithfully all his life and especially during his priestly life. A beautiful gift that he went to the Lord on June 25th 2018 - Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace. God's timing is always perfect.

As well as being a gentle, loving, compassionate and spiritual father with a great love of the heart of Jesus for everyone - Fr Kevin was the founder of the world wide Intercession for Priests ministry which eventually evolved into great fruitfulness alongside Sr Briege, his co worker. Intercession for Priests became a great international outreach of the Mercy of God for the world's wounded and suffering priests.

Through the Intercession for Priests Retreats, tens of thousands of priests discovered a renewal of priesthood, a deeper grace of contemplative prayer and in many instances their vocations were saved.

Who knows how many tens of thousands of priests Fr Kevin helped in his lifetime and how many priestly vocations he personally nurtured into a deeper spirituality and contemplative reality? How many priestly vocations did he help save?

Only the Lord knows the extent of the work of Fr Kevin in the Vineyard of the Lord. Only the Lord knows the burden of the Intercession for Priests Ministry which was constantly on Fr. Kevin's shoulders and in his priestly heart.

I deeply salute dear Fr Kevin for this. His Retreats were always powerful, and both challenging and compassionate at the same time. Intercession for Priests is only part of the work of this great Missioner in the Vineyard of the Lord.

Fr Kevin had a great, great co-worker, collaborator, spiritual support, dearly beloved friend and companion in the Lord, in the person of Sr Briege Mckenna. This grace of spiritual friendship was especially given for the great work amongst the wounded priests. The Lord in his great kindness and compassion brought them together in faith, friendship and complementarity.

This work could only thrive with a partnership of such depth of faith, friendship and complementarity.

His Funeral Mass will be on Wednesday 4th July at 12 Noon at St Peter's Church in Phibsborough, Dublin. The reception of his remains will be at Sacred Heart Church in Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh in N Ireland at 7pm. On July 5th there is a Memorial Mass in this Church and then burial afterwards.

Many of us also pray regularly the beautiful Rosary Meditations and Rosary which Fr Kevin and Dana recorded many years ago. I especially pray when driving. Fr Kevin has a most beautiful, lyrical, contemplative, gentle and meditative tone of voice which was at the same time captivating and deeply prayerful.

He was a great spiritual Father to me on and off during the years.

May Fr Kevin rest in Peace and Rise in glory. Amen