Giving thanks for 'three quarters of a fantastic life' - Funeral of Professor Anthony Towey

Professor Anthony Towey

Holy Rosary Parish, Staines, west London, was the setting for the funeral of Professor Anthony Towey; 'Ant', as he was nearly universally known on Monday, 11 July. It was one of the most moving, uplifting, faith-filled, joyful and sad occasions I've attended.

There was standing-room only in the church (and almost standing-room only on the sanctuary - with Archbishop John Wilson, Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Bishop Paul Hendricks, 25 priests and five deacons squeezed in). But all were drawn together by love of Ant and gratitude for his life, a life always lived wholeheartedly. The congregation was welcomed by parish priest Fr Philip Dyer-Perry.

All parts of his life were present: his South Yorkshire childhood; his involvement in founding the charismatic Maltfriscan community as a youngster (the community which provided the music ministry now at his Requiem); his ministry as a priest both in Hallam diocese and as theology tutor back in the Venerable English College in Rome, where he had done his initial formation; his career as a theological lecturer and teacher and writer; the joy and peace he found in marriage and family life; his generous contribution to the life of the parish which gathered around him to bury him and support his widow and daughter.

Ant's life was cut far too short (or so it seems to all who knew him), struck down by a brain tumour in the space of a few short weeks. Yet he faced his death calmly and with great faith, Indeed, Mgr Mark Crisp, who preached the homily, quoted Ant's characteristic response: "I've had three quarters of a fantastic life and God has asked me to give back the last quarter." His own sorrow was entirely focused on the leaving behind of Káren and Bethany, but even this he embraced with faith. He himself helped to plan the liturgy, which included several of his own immensely singable and theologically adept praise songs and which witnessed to his Franciscan spirit, summed up in the Maltfriscan Rule: "Praise God, love one another, spread the Good News." Indeed his whole life had the character of a good homily, breaking open the Word of God. Ant was, said Fr Mark, "not a just a signpost but a clear neon-bright burning lamppost to the glory of God."

Life with Ant was never boring, whether in Church or at home. Fr Mark suggested that, if our humanity can be characterised in medieval fashion as composed of the four humours of earth, water, wind and fire, Ant was particularly richly endowed with the first and last of these - 'earthy' in the best sense, impatient with dry theories or empty verbiage and always able to ground theology in simple and vivid phrases, which made him such an effective teacher; fiery and not afraid to speak his mind ("What you see was always what you got with Ant"), but with that fire kept in check by his love of the Lord and by humility.

Many academics would point to the glittering prizes gathered along the way as proof of the value of their contribution - the professorship, the publications, conference papers, their mixing with the great and the good and so on (for academia is riven by people's insecurities). And Ant's contributions in his field will certainly stand the test of time. His excellent Introduction To Christian Theology is a brilliant text-book. He has helped to reshape the Religious Education syllabus in our schools. He helped to establish The Pastoral Review on a firm foundation and gave it new relevance. But none of these motivated Ant. It was the love of God and care for people which drove him and made him such an attractive human being.

He stood up to bullying at St Mary's in a very difficult time; and he kept focused on the person before him in all his dealings. Perhaps the greatest tribute was a simple comment by one of his former students in one of the hundreds of conversations which broke out in church after his burial: "I wouldn't have passed my degree without his help." He gave people self-belief. He gave people time.

During his funeral we sang one of his loveliest songs: "Where you treasure is, there's your heart, / Where your mind is, there's your life. / Where your hopes are, there you will go. / Dream your dreams well, my child." That is his message to those he left behind. That is also our prayer for him: dream on, in the eternal heart of God, dear man.

Watch a video recording of the funeral here: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCpxJf2BFYoFnw92e_5sd8Mw