Obituaries & Tributes

Joseph Nangle, OFM, writes: The outpouring of tributes and the celebratory funeral liturgy for Bishop Tom Gumbleton bring deep thoughts about the Catholic priesthood which he so well represented. Even had he not become a bishop, Tom would be remembered for his commitment to his priestly vocation and the effect it had on thousands of people. Father (Bishop) Gumbleton will live in our memories as a... Read More

Monsignor George Hay, was Rector of the Venerable English College in Rome from 1978-1984. Monsignor Hay died peacefully aged 93 in Kingskerswell, south Devon, on 1 April 2024. George Hay was born in Mardan, British India (now Pakistan) in 1930 and retained many happy memories of his childhood there. Later the family returned to Britain and George was educated at Ampleforth College. He opted for m... Read More

Pax Christi write: We are sad to report the death of Fr David Standley, a priest of Southwark Archdiocese and a long standing peacemaker. David died peacefully in St Peter's Residence, Vauxhall on Thursday 21 March 2024. David's ministry was rich and varied. In the 1970s he was university Chaplain in Cambridge and the University of Kent. He then served in parishes including Bexleyheath, Clapham, B... Read More

Today I read a stirring obituary written by Pat Gaffney from Pax Christi about Fr David Standley, a priest of the Southwark diocese, whose funeral will be at 10 am at St George's cathedral on 25th April. In it she gave witness to his campaigning and achievements for peace and justice. My experience of him, however, was simply as our parish priest at St Vincent de Paul parish in Battersea (1998-201... Read More

The Bishop of Galloway, Bishop Frank Dougan, has today announced that Fr Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway who was shortly to be ordained as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dunkeld, has died. Bishop Dougan said: "It was with a heavy heart and the deepest sadness that I learned today of the death of Fr Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway and the Bishop-Elect of... Read More

Fr David Stewart SJ writes: "Wednesday of Easter Week saw the funeral of Canon Roddy Johnson, the much-beloved priest of Argyll and the Isles Diocese, friend to many and a popular radio broadcaster. Roddy died in the Belford Hospital at Fort William, Lochaber on the morning of March 16th after a sudden, brief illness. His most recent parish appointment had been at St Andrew's in Rothesay, Isle o... Read More

Pax Christi USA has issued the following statement today: "With heavy hearts and profound affection and appreciation, Pax Christi USA announces that Bishop Tom Gumbleton, our first bishop president, has died at the age of 94." Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1962, Bishop Gumbleton was named an auxiliary bishop and appointed vicar general of the archdiocese in 1968. He was invit... Read More

The latest issue of 'The Way', the journal of Christian Spirituality published by the Jesuits in Britain, pays tribute to Philip Endean SJ (1954-2023). He was a true gentlemen, an eminent scholar, and his spirit had all the agility of an acrobat. Among his academic interests were Karl Rahner, St Ignatius Loyola, the early Society of Jesus, and Gerard Manley Hopkins, a variety which this selection ... Read More

Despite a heavy police presence, thousands of people gathered outside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Sooth my Sorrows in Moscow, where the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was held today. According to a spokesperson, Navalny's family had significant difficulty finding a church and cemetery for the burial. Both are located far from the city centre. Authorities even t... Read More

A former Abbot of Worth Abbey and Titular Abbot of St Edmund's Abbey, Bury St Edmunds, Fr Stephen Ortiger, died on January 27, after a period of ill health. Fr Stephen, aged 83 years, former Abbot of Worth, Sussex, was widely known in Catholic circles and renowned for his wisdom and knowledge. Educated at Downside, he went on to study history at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was active in the Ca... Read More

"If you don't have a dream, then how are you going to make your dream come true?" goes the song. And 'Prince' John Zylinski was a man who achieved some of his dreams. His story is one of initiative, ambition, imagination, determination and honouring the memory of his forefathers. His funeral took place on the 25th January in Ealing Abbey. He had been a pupil at St Benedict's as a boy. The church w... Read More

The former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, John Bruton died at the Mater Hospital in Dublin yesterday morning, after a long illness. He was 76. His family said in statement: "He was a good husband, a good father and a true patriot. We will miss him greatly." Mr Bruton served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997. He was instrumental in developing the Northern Ireland peace process together with UK... Read More

Father Christopher Greaney, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, died on Thursday 28 December 2023, at the age of 77. Fr Christopher was ordained on 29 June 1993 and served as parish priest in Norton le Moors, Kidlington and Stourport before his retirement to Leamington in 2016, where he continued to support the local parishes. Duncan McGibbon writes: "When I heard of the death of Fr C... Read More

The family of Prince John Zylinski have issued the following statement today: In memory of the late Prince John Zylinski 25.07.1951 - 3.01.2024. John passed away peacefully, after a short illness, on the 3rd January 2024, aged 72. He was the son of Lieutenant Andrzej Zylinski, who commanded the famous cavalry charge in September 1939, near Kaluszyn, Poland. He was the creator and patron of the Go... Read More