Westminster Record December Edition

Saints & Obituaries St Edmund Campion

S

t Edmund Campion was ordained an Anglican deacon in 1569 but openly expressed his uncertainty about his religious situation. After a spell in Ireland, he returned to England in 1571 then went to France to attend the English College in Douai, where he converted to Catholicism and was ordained subdeacon. He left for Rome later that year and joined the Jesuits. After his novitiate at Brunn, he taught in Prague and was ordained there in 1578. In 1580 Edmund was chosen to start a mission in England and arrived at Dover disguised as a jewel merchant. Campion first ministered to Catholic prisoners and his attractive personality and eloquence encouraged struggling English Catholics. He travelled throughout Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands, preaching, celebrating Mass and administering the Sacraments. St Edmund was finally arrested in Berkshire. Imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London, he refused to renounce his faith. He was indicted in Westminster Hall on the fabricated charge of trying to incite a rebellion. Despite his able defence, the jury found him guilty of treason and he was condemned to death. He stressed his loyalty to the Queen but in vain. His only offence was his religion. Campion was hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1st December 1581. He was canonised as one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales in 1970.

Liturgical Calendar - December & January 1 Sun + 1st Sunday of Advent 3 Tue St Francis Xavier, Priest 7 Sat St Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor 8 Sun + 2nd Sunday of Advent 9 Mon Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patron of the Diocese 13 Fri St Lucy, Virgin & Martyr 14 Sat St John of the Cross, Priest & Doctor 15 Sun + 3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) 22 Sun + 4th Sunday of Advent 25 Wed + THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS) 26 Thu St Stephen, The First Martyr 27 Fri St John, Apostle and Evangelist 28 Sat The Holy Innocents, Martyrs 29 Sun + Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph 1 Wed Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God 2 Thu Sts Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops & Doctors 5 Sun + EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 12 Sun + The Baptism of the Lord; Christmas time ends 17 Fri St Anthony, Abbot 19 Sun + 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time* 21 Tue St Agnes, Virgin & Martyr* 24 Fri St Francis de Sales, Bishop & Doctor; Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of Archbishop Vincent Nichols * 25 Sat The Conversion of St Paul the Apostle * 26 Sun + 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 28 Tue St Thomas Aquinas, Priest & Doctor 31 Fri St John Bosco, Priest *From Saturday 18 to Saturday 25 January the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place Page 22

Westminster Record | December 2013/January 2014

In Memoriam: December Fr Peter Allen (1978) Fr Robert Bradley (1976) Fr Edward Campling (1996) Mgr Canon Joseph Collings (1978) Fr Jeremiah Daly (1974) Fr John Donlan (2006) Fr Francis Donovan (1983) Canon Bernard George (1980) Fr Clive Godwin (1974) Fr Manuel Gomes (1989) Mgr Alexander Groves (1998) Fr Edward Gwilliams (1981) Fr John Harper-Hill (1998) Fr Dalton Haughey (1991) Fr Laurence Kingseller (1975) Fr Bernard Lavin (1999) Fr Andrew Morley (1993) Fr Gerard Mulvahey (1996) Fr Alan O’Connor (1992) Fr Harold Purney (1983) Mgr Wilfred Purney (1987) Fr Stephen Rigby (1978) Fr Edward Scanlan (1992) Canon John Shaw (1981) Fr John Simcox (1972) Fr Dennis Skelly (1996) Canon Alexander Stewart (1976) Fr George Swanton (1979) Mgr George Tancred (2002) Fr Wilfrid Trotman (1976) Fr Michael Ware (1998) Fr Benedict Westbrook (1989)

Fr Gerald Freely R.I.P. Fr Gerald Freely died in the early hours of 11 November 2013. He was 79 years old and had been a priest for 14 of them. He was born in Edgbaston on 25 September 1934, the first son of Michael and Marie Freely. Completing his studies in 1951, he became articled in the Law Society School of Law and Articles, Bedford Row, and qualified as a Solicitor in 1956. After serving in Germany with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, Gerald moved to the City, practising in two law firms before becoming a Partner in W.H. Matthews & Co in 1964. Gerald married Margherita, Baroness von und zu Egloffstein, in 1961 in Bavaria and they settled in Harrow. The marriage bore fruit in seven children and 28 grandchildren. After 32 years of marriage, Margherita died in 1993. Following her death, Gerald offered himself for the priesthood. He entered Allen Hall in 1995 and was ordained in Westminster Cathedral in 1999. After ordination, Fr Gerald was appointed as Assistant Priest in Ruislip for 3 years before returning to Harrow-on-the-Hill and Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury.

January Fr Thomas Anderson (1974) Mgr Eustace Bernard (1972) Fr Stephen Bartlett (2012) Mgr Ernest T Bassett (1990) Cardinal Francis Bourne (1935) Fr William Brown (2001) Fr Donald Campbell (1985) Fr Bernard Canham (1990) Fr Denis Cantwell (1995) Fr John T Carberry (1988) Bishop Patrick Casey (1999) Fr Philip Dayer (2005) Fr Francis Dent (1963) Fr Edward Dering Leicester (1977) Fr Sidney Dommersen (1970) Fr Gerry Ennis (2000) Fr Joseph Fehrenbach (1985) Fr Bernard Fisher (1990) Fr Thomas Gardner (1995) Cardinal William Godfrey (1963) Canon James Hathway (1976) Canon William Heffernan (1965) Fr Edward Hinsley (1976) Fr Patrick Howard (2000) Fr Derek Jennings (1995) Fr William Kahle (1993) Fr John Kearsey (2004) Mgr George Leonard (1993) Fr Peter Lyons (1998) Cardinal Henry Manning (1892) Fr Thomas McNamara (1976) Fr Arthur P Mintern (1993) Fr George O’Connor (1989) Preb Ronald Pilkington (1975) Fr Samuel Reddy (1958) Canon Frederick Smyth (2007) Fr Brendan Soane (2000) Fr Oldrich Trnka (2003 Fr Frederick Vincent (1973) Fr Alexander Wells (1970) Fr Robin Whitney (2012) Fr Cyril Wilson (1988)

Chelsea Funeral Directors One of London’s few Independent Funeral Directors who have served the communities of Westminster, Chelsea & Fulham for over a century. • • • • • •

24 hours a day, 365 days a year Catholic staff From limited to fully bespoke funerals Memorial Masonry service World-wide Repatriation Pre-Paid Funeral Plan specialists

91 Rochester Row, SW1P 1LJ 020 7834 3281 260B Fulham Road, SW10 9EL 020 7352 0008 235 Munster Road, SW6 6BT 020 7385 0866