Page 46 - The Old Ratcliffian 2011

The Old Ratcliffan 2011 | Obituaries in later years, on a sabbatical from Tony’s old Cambridge tutor, Frank Wild, Margaret, had come to visit him New Zealand, a course at the Tantur was with us and his wife, a somewhat and she was the last person to speak Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem, where flighty lady, surreptitiously took a piece with him. his scriptural knowledge was honed of bone as a souvenir. A few moments and developed. later she tripped and grazed her knee. It was almost as if her visit was his Tony chided her: ‘See what happens Nunc Dimittis. ‘Now you can let your Reflection servant depart in peace’, as Simeon when you pinch bones out of the ‘How happy are the gentle: they shall catacombs’. It was the nearest I said when he held the child Jesus in the Temple and blessed him (Luke have the earth for their heritage’ ever heard him come to making an 2:28-29). Tony identified himself (Matthew 5:5) ungentle comment. completely with the priests of this “When you were listening to the list One area which Tony embraced with all diocese and the bishops, and he will of the Beatitudes of Jesus, I wonder his mathematical skill was computing. surely be most happy to be laid to which one you applied to Fr Tony. I He knew not just how to use them, rest in their company this afternoon at would have no difficulty in applying but how the insides worked. He was Anderson’s Bay.” ‘Happy are the gentle’ and perhaps it is of great help to me in producing the Fr Michael Hill IC (49) no coincidence that the same word was Tui Motu magazine, not merely as also often used to describe Antonio a reviewer of books, but as trouble An Anonymous Obituary Rosmini. Tony was a gentle priest. He shooter with our machines, since I was a gentle human being. and my assistant Frances were both Fr Tony was a truly kind and decent computer morons. He was always man. With his boyish enthusiasm My first memory of him was as a happy to assist. for everything he taught, he was an stocky twelve year old in corduroy short inspirational teacher whose pastoral pants. I have a glimpse of him sitting, But, of course, it was as a parish priest care for his pupils was exceptional. absorbed in thought, playing chess that most of you will best remember He always made time for people and with the august and somewhat remote Fr Tony. He came to Dunedin in 1981, listened to their problems. I am sure Fr Cuthbert Emery, who was our after a year teaching at Rosmini that it must have been hard work and headmaster. They were both excellent College in Auckland, and worked for quite tedious at times, though you chess players and I have no doubt Bishop Kavanagh as his Vicar for would never know it from his response. that it was not always Fr Cuthbert who Religious, before becoming parish I fondly remember him being teased was the winner. Tony and I were also priest in Waverley and then in North for wearing shorts to the boat house together at university and in our first East Valley parish in 1993, spending for rowing, something he took in his years of teaching. He was an excellent some ten years in each. stride. He did not mind pupils ‘taking mathematician and this competence I think there were three things which the mickey’ and gave as good as he reflected the ability of his mind to made him so successful in that role got. His sense of humour and laugh penetrate to the essence of things. were infectious and on many occasions and which endeared him to people. We started studies for the priesthood Firstly, he was a wonderful listener. he would be reduced to tears by a together. Tony enjoyed Rosminian He sought professional training in good story. Despite his rather saintly demeanour he was not averse to a philosophy, but when it came to counselling, and that made him ribald joke. looking at the scholastic verbiage in a competent spiritual guide and which much of our priestly training confessor. He was not one for rushing He found great spiritual fulfilment in was clothed, Tony was a non-starter. around visiting people, but he was the Charismatic Renewal movement It made no sense to him and, largely, always available for people who came and started a prayer group at school he trained himself for ordination by to the door or sought his advice. which included both pupils and the his reading. This was successful as he He was also a great supporter of the local community. He was deeply finished with an STL. affected by the movement’s openness initiatives of his parishioners. North Tony never found change easy, and East Valley was well endowed with and lack of formality. I remember him coming back from a meeting at Church initially he hated being in Rome. He people with ideas, and Tony was there House in Westminster totally alight struggled with Italian. He thought encouraging them and guiding them. with the spirit and wanting to share his he would need a full grasp of the That is why it was such a lively parish. joy with everyone. subjunctive before he could ask for Tony did not see it as his job to control a cup of tea. Eventually, however, he or to initiate everything. His is a great loss, but his kindness came to speak it well. and friendship will always be He was also a wonderful preacher. But then he discovered the catacombs He spent a lot of time preparing his remembered by the many people whose lives he touched. and the treasures of early Christian homilies. They were simple, ardent history. He was a friend of Ward and opened up the Word of God for his Perkins, the Director of the British people. They loved what he had to say. School; he became a catacomb guide, In recent years, Fr Tony was burdened and organised expeditions for which we with indifferent health, and sadly were beneficiaries. I recall once going the circle of his life experience down a very beautiful and rarely visited diminished. However, he continued catacomb, decorated with wonderful to minister as much as he could, and early Christian frescoes. It was so even last Saturday he came and heard rarely visited that the bones of the confessions at Holy Name. It was a early Christians were still in place. great blessing for him that his sister, 46