FrTomMescallOSA
members exercised patience and care for himuntilhehad toenteranursinghome.
For the last few years many have continued to visithim thereand thiscare is a testimonynotonlytohimbuttothegood· ncss ofmembers of our community. Tom hadcometoAustraliaasayoungmanand hadmadehishomehere.Hehadnofamily inAustraliaandsomanyVillanovaandSt. James people had become his family. My thanksonbehalfoftheAugustinianstoall thosewhowerepartofthisfabric.
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OnTuesdaymorningOctober22nd, weheardthatFrTomMescallOSA, longtimeTeacher,Sportsmaster,Arts-festival organiser,Rugby coach, First XV time keeper and so many other things at the College, died. Tom had spent most of his pricstlylifoasamemberofstaffatVillanova CollegeandisrememberedbysomanyOld Boys,staffandpastparents.Hehadretired to live at the priory attheCollege only to findhewassufferingfromAlzheimer'sdisease. Over the lastyears he sufferedfrom memoryloss andother difficulties related to his condition. Many present staff and neighbours, as well as a number of past parents towhomhewasspeciallydear, as wellashisfellowAugustiniancommunity
Anl.rishAugustinianpriest, whospent 36 of his 41 years of priestly ministry in Queensland, has died in Brisbane after a lengthillness.FrTomMescal\ wasbornin County Mayo, Ireland in 1929. After a numberofyearsincommercialindustryin Ireland and England, he entered the Irish Augustiniannovitiatein1955attheageof 25years.
He was sent to Rome for his priestly studies,andwasordainedtothepriesthood there inJuly 1961. In November 1%2, he was appointed to Villanova College, Coorparooandtaughtinthelowersecondary section of the college. From 1971 he servedforthreeyearsasthelastAugustinianparish priestofSt Joseph's,Cairns beforethestaffingofthatparishwasreturned todiocesanclergy.
HethenbeganserviceatVillanovaCollege,Coorparoo from 1973-91. A talented
JohnBremner
rugbyunioncoach,FrTomMescal!wasthe collegesportsmasterfor sixyears.Withhis contactswithnumerousartistsandartgallery interests,he was a major force in the VillanovaCollegeannualartfestivalsdur· ingmostoftheperiod.InJanuary1991,he was transferred to theAugustinian parish of Echuca, Victoria. With a decline in his healthin1995,hereturnedtotheVillanova Prioryinsemi-retirementandhisillhealth forcedhis withdrawal from public minis• trysoonafterwards.
His requiem Mass was at St James' Church,CoorparooonOctober25.
JohnBremner was a long time coach of Villanova Rugby teams. His sons Michaeland Anthony (AJ) were both students of theCollege.John's wife,Joan, has also been a long-time supporter of
Villanova. That so many members of the communityturnedouttofarewellhimisa sign ofthegratitude of so manyboysto a man whose commitment to them was extraordinary. Inthefaceofillnessand suf-
feringhewasstoic. Hecontinuedhiscorn· mitmentrightintothisrugbyseason. Asa teacher at Mansfield State High he dis• playedsimilarcommitmenttohisstudents andcolleagues.Johnwillbesadlymissed.
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