Obituary Notice
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Fr. Fabian Seery (1919-1985) Fe, PASIAN OF THe ENGLISH “WASTYRS (denry Seery) An Aporeciation It was a great shock to our Comrunity in Sutton when on the morning of Saturday 21st September 1965, Fr.Fabian was found dead lving on his hed. Mormally he would be up by 6 asms, often to take Yolvy Com-union to sick and housebound varishoners before Community Morning Praver at 7.45 awn, His absence from Choir that Saturday morning rrompted Fr.Jeremias to knock him for the 8.15 Mass which he was due to celebrate. Seeina what was wrong, Fr. Jveremias summoned the Vicar, Fr.Bugene, who at once recognised that Sabian was deads Dr.Lennon was called to certify that fact. Fabian’s health had not been for some vears of the best. It was known that he nad a “heart condition" and suffered frov hypertension, but there had been no sign of proximate danger = althouch a narishoner, Mrs. Forarty, later reported that she had seen him the previous morning locking somewhat distressed and complaining of tiefrdness. Yet that same Friday afternoon he had been out on his parish duties. It avrears that on his return he must have lain on his bed to rest, and that is how he was found the next mornine, ‘still clothed in his suit. According to the doctor he must have died early on the Friday evening of a severe coronary thrombosis. We was buried in our caméetary on friday 27th September after the funeral Mass celebrated by Bishop O'Connor, auxiliary bishop in Liverpool, with several concéelebrants - all the local clergy from the St,sHeléns parishes and many of our own brethren. At the graveside a small ten-year-old boy leading his dog pushed his way throuch the crowd of mourners to stand by the gravé. No one knew who he was, but it later trznspired that some time previously 'r.Ffabian had given him a 10p. piece, and, hearing Fabian was dead, this small and rather scruffy little child had come to show his gratitude and pay his respects. Fr.Fabian, known in the world as Hénry Seery, was born on 10th October 1919 in Halifax, Yorks., the youngest of the eleven children of James and Rosé (nee Stead) Seery, He recéived his early. @ducation at his local Catholic primar: school, and later attended Claré Hall Secondary School in Halifax, After leaving school he worked as a clerk in the parcels offices of the local tramway company. Or the outbreak of war in 1939 he was called un and served in the Arny Fay Corps throughout the Second ‘orld “ar. Ouring thie time, while he was servins in Africa, his mother died, As soon as he was demobbed he wént to Campion House, Osterley, as a late vocation for the priesthood. How 4é came in contact with the VPassionists is mot known = it might have been through a tission ziven in his native narich or through contact with our Retreat House at Ilkley. In any event, ne entered our novitiate in Broadway in 1948 and was professed on 24rd Cectober 1949, Six years later he was ordained on 22nd July 1955 in the old church at Sutton.
2 a His first appointment after ordination was to Minsteracrern, but a few years later he was transferred ‘to Hirhgate as Parish Asvistanb. In he was sent to our Mission in Sweden, but he found that work uneonrenial and, presumably at hic own request, returned to England in ’ After a short. time in broadway he was appointed to the parish here in Sutton, and for the next years he served the people of StsAnhe's with devotion and fidelity until the day he died, Fabian was a man of few words and not piven to taiisias about himself, but. quietly and without ostentation fot on with his work. $0 it was only when he died and his work was done that even we, his brethren, came to realize the good he had done and the esteem and love with which he was regarded by the parishoners, ‘The penuine grief of the people at his passing was evidence of this. Hany parishoners both by word and in writing told of the kindness ana compassion they had received from Fr.Fabian in times of distrers, ani of the unfailins help and support he had given them in their problems. These were spontaneous testimonies with nothing of the "nil nisi bonum'! about them, but given in all sincerity. An unassuming man himself, he had a predeliction for humble, ordinary folk. When they were in trotible whether becavse of unemployment or domestic problems or marriage break-down he went to no énd of trouble himself to assist them. Fabian loved and understood small children, and the incident of the scruffy little boy at his graveside was symbolic of how they responded to him, For some ten years he was chaplain to ovr primary school here. One of the teachers spoke of the great suprort he wasn to the teaching rtaff, but even more she praised his work with the children, "y could never say enourh,'' she said, ‘for what he did for those children." She described his simple and homely apnroach to and conversation with the children both colleetively and individually, and how he never failed to bring toffees with him to the rachorl. Her comuent was that because of Fabian'ts kindness, approacahbility and simplicity "the children must have thought this is what the priesthood is all abouts?! He coriposed special Penitential Services adapted to. the understanding of the children; he expalined the Mass to them through slides he made; he wrote an admirable short play about the Prodigal Son to he performed by the children. This play, and a number of verses and poems discovered amonm his papers after his death, are surprising evidence of a gift that we who lived with him would hardly have suspected in the r-ther dour and unimapminative Yorkshireman we thought Yabian was ! He was indeed somewhat abrupt in manner. He did not suffer fools pladiy, end his annoyance would make itself felt at anything that smacked of humbur or pretentiousness. He was the least pretentious of men himself: offered the Rectorship of Carmarthen after one Provincial Chapter, he declmed, considering himself unsuited to any such office,
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.