Page 54 - The Old Ratcliffian 2013
P. 54
T
The Old Ratclifan 2013 | Introductionhe Old Ratclifan 2013 | Obituaries
Rev Fr Terry Watson IC
Old Ratcliffian 1943-48
When I visited Terry in early January, The life of any author or writer is a
he was in great form and appeared lonely existence; the life of a translator
to be in good health. But, by the is even harder. Terry was devoted
end of the month, he began to suffer to what Rosmini called ‘Intellectual
seriously from back pain. When I Charity’. This is a life of study and
discovered that he was ill, I came teaching the truth in love, so that our
up on the March 26th, the Tuesday faith does not become a mindless
of Holy Week, to discover that Terry accommodation to the culture of
had been admitted to hospital that our day, but is searching for the
day because they had discovered an consuming truth of the Gospel. This
aneurysm. painful search is one of the ways that
the cost of discipleship is expressed
Terry’s sufferings and the Golden
Jubilee of his ordination took place and, as with all forms of love, it is
during the Easter season. This is the marked with the sign of the Cross.
time when Jesus was stripped naked As I said at the beginning, Terry’s father. After ordination, he went to
and crucified and then rose from final days were played out against New Zealand, where he resumed his
the dead. This mystery is called the the backdrop of the Paschal Mystery. teaching career, both at the Rosmini
Paschal Mystery and Terry shared in One of the signs of our belief in College in Auckland and St Peter’s,
this mystery, even to the timing of his the reality of the resurrection is joy Gore.
death, which took place on the day and merriment. Even during those He continued his love for tramping in
the Church celebrated the Ascension six weeks of suffering, Terry could the mountains and outdoor life. He
of our Lord. continue to smile, a beautiful smile, came back after twenty years in New
and his flashes of humour still shone Zealand to this part of the world to
When Terry was released from through. As St Theresa of Avila would take up the mission of translating the
hospital on the Thursday of Holy say: ‘From silly devotions and sour- Founder into English. He must have
Week, he came back to his beloved faced saints, spare us, O Lord’. had an incredible optimism and faith
Rosmini House in Pity Me. A doctor in the project, for humanly speaking
came to visit him and she told Terry, Terry was born in Lincoln eighty- it seemed a dead duck. The response
very gently and professionally, that he two years ago, the youngest of three that both he and Denis got was, in
was dying. Terry paused for a moment brothers, Wilfred (45) and Anthony, a sense, minimal. However, both of
and then said to her, ‘But I can’t die both his elder. He was proud of his them were convinced that, in the
yet, as I have to translate Rosmini’s Lincoln connections and those with fullness of time, their work would bear
Supernatural Anthropology’. In the this part of the world through the fruit and, during this time, we have
whole history of the human race, from Hinshaws on his mother’s side. seen Antonio Rosmini Beatified and
the beginning of time until the end of He was sent to Grace Dieu and then Rosmini’s work commended by John
time, I am sure no other human being to Ratcliffe. When he was in the Sixth Paul II in his encyclical Faith and
will reply to the doctor who tells them Form, the Provincial of the day, Fr Reason, as one of the writers to guide
that they are dying with those words!
Emery, who knew Terry wanted to the Church in the 21st Century.
Terry devoted the last thirty years of join the Order, asked him to join the
his life to translating the philosophical noviciate after one year in the Sixth Another of Rosmini’s foundation
works of Antonio Rosmini into English. Form which, humanly speaking, principles was friendship. Terry had
For over twenty years he did this was madness, because Terry was the gift of friendship which, although
in collaboration with Denis Cleary, extremely bright and should have confined to a few, was very deep and
until Denis’ death in 2002. They done his A Levels and further studies. profound. Among his Durham friends
were like two peas in a pod. Their He returned to Ratcliffe at the age were John and Pat Doyle, who gave
daily discipleship was rigorous to of only nineteen and, despite his Terry devoted and loving care for
the extreme. They rose early in the young years and inexperience, he twenty years, but especially during the
morning for an hour’s meditation, became an excellent teacher and fine last months of his life; Janet Nichols
followed by Mass. They were at their disciplinarian. for all the administrative work she did
computers by 9am. At 11am, there for Terry; Susan Michiels for being
appeared on the screen a little pop-up At Ratcliffe as a boy he had excelled such a good friend; Ann De Rick,
note which said, ‘Coffee break boy- in sport; he was captain of the Boxing Tom Thomas and Robin Paulson
oh’. After ten minutes’ break, they Club, in which he got his colours, as (53) for helping to look after Terry
were back at their computers until he did in rugby, cricket and hockey. during those final weeks. Another
the next pop-up note at 1pm. After I don’t think any student in the dimension of Terry’s gift of friendship
a light lunch, they returned to their history of the College received such was his relationship with the Ascribed
computers until their daily translation recognition for sporting prowess. After Members of the Order and also with
was completed. Terry continued with Ratcliffe, he studied in Rome for the the number of visitors who travelled
this discipline after Denis’ death. priesthood, where he was ordained in all the way up to Durham to see him
1963, shortly after the death of his during his last weeks of life.
54
54
The Old Ratclifan 2013 | Introductionhe Old Ratclifan 2013 | Obituaries
Rev Fr Terry Watson IC
Old Ratcliffian 1943-48
When I visited Terry in early January, The life of any author or writer is a
he was in great form and appeared lonely existence; the life of a translator
to be in good health. But, by the is even harder. Terry was devoted
end of the month, he began to suffer to what Rosmini called ‘Intellectual
seriously from back pain. When I Charity’. This is a life of study and
discovered that he was ill, I came teaching the truth in love, so that our
up on the March 26th, the Tuesday faith does not become a mindless
of Holy Week, to discover that Terry accommodation to the culture of
had been admitted to hospital that our day, but is searching for the
day because they had discovered an consuming truth of the Gospel. This
aneurysm. painful search is one of the ways that
the cost of discipleship is expressed
Terry’s sufferings and the Golden
Jubilee of his ordination took place and, as with all forms of love, it is
during the Easter season. This is the marked with the sign of the Cross.
time when Jesus was stripped naked As I said at the beginning, Terry’s father. After ordination, he went to
and crucified and then rose from final days were played out against New Zealand, where he resumed his
the dead. This mystery is called the the backdrop of the Paschal Mystery. teaching career, both at the Rosmini
Paschal Mystery and Terry shared in One of the signs of our belief in College in Auckland and St Peter’s,
this mystery, even to the timing of his the reality of the resurrection is joy Gore.
death, which took place on the day and merriment. Even during those He continued his love for tramping in
the Church celebrated the Ascension six weeks of suffering, Terry could the mountains and outdoor life. He
of our Lord. continue to smile, a beautiful smile, came back after twenty years in New
and his flashes of humour still shone Zealand to this part of the world to
When Terry was released from through. As St Theresa of Avila would take up the mission of translating the
hospital on the Thursday of Holy say: ‘From silly devotions and sour- Founder into English. He must have
Week, he came back to his beloved faced saints, spare us, O Lord’. had an incredible optimism and faith
Rosmini House in Pity Me. A doctor in the project, for humanly speaking
came to visit him and she told Terry, Terry was born in Lincoln eighty- it seemed a dead duck. The response
very gently and professionally, that he two years ago, the youngest of three that both he and Denis got was, in
was dying. Terry paused for a moment brothers, Wilfred (45) and Anthony, a sense, minimal. However, both of
and then said to her, ‘But I can’t die both his elder. He was proud of his them were convinced that, in the
yet, as I have to translate Rosmini’s Lincoln connections and those with fullness of time, their work would bear
Supernatural Anthropology’. In the this part of the world through the fruit and, during this time, we have
whole history of the human race, from Hinshaws on his mother’s side. seen Antonio Rosmini Beatified and
the beginning of time until the end of He was sent to Grace Dieu and then Rosmini’s work commended by John
time, I am sure no other human being to Ratcliffe. When he was in the Sixth Paul II in his encyclical Faith and
will reply to the doctor who tells them Form, the Provincial of the day, Fr Reason, as one of the writers to guide
that they are dying with those words!
Emery, who knew Terry wanted to the Church in the 21st Century.
Terry devoted the last thirty years of join the Order, asked him to join the
his life to translating the philosophical noviciate after one year in the Sixth Another of Rosmini’s foundation
works of Antonio Rosmini into English. Form which, humanly speaking, principles was friendship. Terry had
For over twenty years he did this was madness, because Terry was the gift of friendship which, although
in collaboration with Denis Cleary, extremely bright and should have confined to a few, was very deep and
until Denis’ death in 2002. They done his A Levels and further studies. profound. Among his Durham friends
were like two peas in a pod. Their He returned to Ratcliffe at the age were John and Pat Doyle, who gave
daily discipleship was rigorous to of only nineteen and, despite his Terry devoted and loving care for
the extreme. They rose early in the young years and inexperience, he twenty years, but especially during the
morning for an hour’s meditation, became an excellent teacher and fine last months of his life; Janet Nichols
followed by Mass. They were at their disciplinarian. for all the administrative work she did
computers by 9am. At 11am, there for Terry; Susan Michiels for being
appeared on the screen a little pop-up At Ratcliffe as a boy he had excelled such a good friend; Ann De Rick,
note which said, ‘Coffee break boy- in sport; he was captain of the Boxing Tom Thomas and Robin Paulson
oh’. After ten minutes’ break, they Club, in which he got his colours, as (53) for helping to look after Terry
were back at their computers until he did in rugby, cricket and hockey. during those final weeks. Another
the next pop-up note at 1pm. After I don’t think any student in the dimension of Terry’s gift of friendship
a light lunch, they returned to their history of the College received such was his relationship with the Ascribed
computers until their daily translation recognition for sporting prowess. After Members of the Order and also with
was completed. Terry continued with Ratcliffe, he studied in Rome for the the number of visitors who travelled
this discipline after Denis’ death. priesthood, where he was ordained in all the way up to Durham to see him
1963, shortly after the death of his during his last weeks of life.
54
54
