Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Father GREGORY CONNOLLY, Passionist : 1919-1993 The parish and Passionist community of Herne Bay were greatly saddened by the sudden death on 21 April of Fr Gregory, who had lived in Herne Bay for eome eight years. The facts of his life can be briefly outlined : born in Dundalk, Ireland on 14 March 1919, enetered the Passioniet novitiate on 14 September after several years in the junior seminary, professed as a Passionist on 15 October 1939, and ordained priest on 28 April 1945 in the olf church at Sutton. After ordination he gave parish missions up and down England and Wales, as well as retreats to religious communities. He undertook parish work in London, Birmingham, and Carmarthen} and at other times was a member of the community in Ilkley, Booadway, Mineteracres, and St Non's, Herne Bay being the last house where he was stationed. Before coming here, he had seen pastoral service in Parise and geneva among the English-speaking residents. But how little facts tell you about the real person. Already his absence is being felt in our home and community; we miss him, and the many little jobs he used to do e -unasked - to make the wheels of community life go smoothly round . A Sister from outside the parieh wrote "One sensed that he was a community man, and did all he could for his brothers." She was so right; and went on "..,his simplicity, deep love of the Lord, and thank God his sense of humour." Right again; he was a great story-teller, whose tales could be told again and again with no loss of hilarity to his hearers. "How are you keeping ?" someone once asked him, "Out of trouble" was the dry reply. a he t 1d fe) is foner "Compassion ia the most important thing." And how well he showed it. He may not be numbered among the great administrators, superiors, organisers, teachers, preachers, or theologiansa...but one thinks of the comment of St Paul of the Cross at the end of his preaching life : "If I had to begin again, I should preach nothing but the mercy of God." He would greet Gregory as a kindred spirit. . But really this obituary notice can be written by our parishioners in Herne Bay. After his death, tributes came in from so many to one who was claakly missed by all. "The feature
which stands out moet is the sense of calm he radiated, along with his ability to remain unflustered." Another wrote “He always appeared calm and at peace with the world...alwaye kind, with a reasauring word." And this calmness was not so much an endowment of temperament as the fruit of self-conquest; Gregory had hie problems, difficulties like others of us, but these he overcame, and anequired a strong peace which he was able to communicate to others. "If only I'd met Fr Gregory thirty years ago !" es one parishioner said to me more than once. He always found time to listen - especially to the elderly, the physically & mentally sick, the querulous, _the disturbed; and that is a very rare but vital charism. Like his Master, he always had time to listen, and to help, to work on what he found, and not to worry about what should be there, or what he might have had the right to expect to be there. But the testimony of the parish is eloquent 3: "He meant eo much to so many"; “In spite of ill«health, he carried on with tireless devotion, dedication, and love. What an inspiration to us, the laity !"3 "He was agoaring pastor to ve all";"...,eharing our sorrows and triumphs, tireless in viciting the sick at home and in hospital. One spoke about “the memorable House Masses" adding “he was never happier than when surrounded by children". "As a confessor," write another, "his humility and great capacity to express God's love and forgivenese and mercy...a man of the people, with an acute understanding of the inner struggles, temptations, and battles ordinary folk live with." "He always gave an example of a real Christian life; one noticed his special striving for peace in the world in these terrible days." Gregory would be most surprised to hear all of this, no doubt. Mention must be made on his great devotion to the Passion, and to our Bleesed Lady. Week after week, he faithfully attended the Legion of Mary meetings; and one would often see him, rosary in hand,p#aying away in our community chapel. Iast Good Friday, we had the Passionist devotion of the Seven Last words in the evening, and Gregory was to preach
the Mord Word : “Woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy mother". "His ability to reméin unflustered" was evident on this occasion, because, says one of the congregation, "he arrived at the lectern, and his first words were ‘I'm sorry ~ I've forgotten my notes’, and then carried on with his homily without appearing to bat an eyelid". "I'm sure he is now with our Lord and rejoicing" wrote someone elee. And I find myself wondering whether our Lord has already said to Mary "Woman, behold thy son," and to Gregory, "Son, behold thy Mother." MAY HE REST IN PHACY.,
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.