Thursday 8 January 2009

4 comments:

Mitch said...

Father Richard remembered..July 28, 2009

My family and I were recently on holiday in the UK and visited Father Richard's final resting place at the Harrow & Wealdstone Cemetery. It was a beautiful sunny Summer morning. We planted a yellow rose bush, offered a decade of the Rosary and reluctantly said goodbye before hopping onto a bus headed back for the station.

Some photos are posted here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123981&id=739439342&l=9c90a2cd98

Terry Biddington said...

I have just this very day - 9 October 2009 - heard of the death of Fr Richard. There are many tributes that have been paid, but I would like to add an ecumenical one.

I first met Richard when I was appointed Anglican chaplain at Keele University. Richard had patiently tolerated the less than charitable ministrations of my predecessor and it was with great delight that he offered me a blessing at Mass on my first Sunday. That, together with a large G&T, sealed our friendship over the next few years.

He often told me stories of how he had been appallingly treated by 'Protestants' during his childhood in Liverpool, but during the course of many private times of honest conversation and exhausting hard work we came to a new place in ministry for both of us. We prayed, laughed, drank and cried together and he was like a second father to me.

He said I was the nicest Anglican he had ever met; I said he had helped me to discover what priesthood was really about.

Tomorrow I shall say an (Anglican!) Mass for him. And somewhere he'll be gently chiding me: 'Terry. You must know the difference between live and blank ammo!!'

God bless you Richard. May you be with the Saints in glory. Thank you for so much. I shall never forget you. And one day, perhaps, we'll share a drink together agin.

Terry x

Anonymous said...

Phil and I visited Richard's grave on 28th July this year, as we did last year. This time we also had lunch with friend and Keele graduate Karen Wilson and her father. It was a good day. In the course of it we admired Mr Wilson's beautiful All Gold rose bushes. Today, in November, I read of Mitch planting a yellow rose bush for Richard and catch up, vicariously, for the first time in ages, with Terry Biddington. Another good day, thanks to Richard.

Rowena Gay

Peter Wells said...

The Voice of Father Richard
Throughout his time with us in Chew Magna, Richard taped a vast number of his homilies, including the jokes and laughter from the congregation. These to allow a bedridden friend of a parishoner to hear them.
Thankfully, that parishoner kept all the tapes and is in the process to downloading a selection of the best ones onto a two CD pack called 'The Voice of Father Richard'. These will be sold at £5 each excluding postage as not only unique Christmas presents, but a momento of a wonderful man.
The CD's will be available soon, and if you would like to order one please sned your email address to debbie.forge@cliftondiocese.com.

As soon as they are ready we will email you to arrange payment.