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 Mourners
packed into St Colman's Parish Church, Dunmurry, on Thursday 6th
September for the funeral of the Rev Tom Priestly. The
Archbishop of Armagh, the Bishop of Connor and a former Bishop
of Connor were among those paying tribute to the 39-year-old
rector of St Colman's who was found dead at his home on Saturday
morning, 25th August.
Originally from Newry, Mr Priestly had studied music at the
University of Ulster, Jordanstown, specialising in the organ and
flute, and was at one time organist in his home parish of St
Mary's in Newry. He also helped out when occasion demanded at
the organ in St Colman's, were he had been rector since 1999. He
was ordained by Bishop Samuel Poyntz in 1994, and was curate in
Ballymena for five years before moving to Dunmurry. Bishop
Poyntz took last Sunday's service in St Colman's, and attended
Thursday's funeral.
The Rev Stephen Fielding, rector of Agherton Parish,
Portstewart, and the Rev Garth Bunting, Upper Malone, officiated
at the service. The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Rev Alan
Harper, and the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy,
also took part.
Rev Stephen Fielding, a close friend of Rev Priestly, said he
had been well liked and respected among his friends and
colleagues. He continues, 'Tom was a broad churchman and he had
friends through the Church of Ireland and beyond right across
denominations. He was very open-minded and was a good pastor who
was respected and well loved both in Ballymena and in St
Colman's. He was an honest and frank individual.' Mr Priestly
was involved in the local branch of St John Ambulance and had at
one time been branch president. Mr Fielding added, 'Our thoughts
and prayers are very much with his family who are at the centre
of things. It is a great tragedy and people are very shocked.
There is a great sense of loss in his parish and beyond.'
There was no sermon or homily during the service, but speaking
during the Commendation at the end, Archbishop Harper said Mr
Priestly's death has distressed and bewildered everyone. 'He was
a trusted and much respected friend to so many people, not least
his colleagues in ministry. We enjoyed his company, we admired
his gifts and we respected the forthright expression of his
views,' said the Archbishop. 'Tom was also an extremely private
person, perhaps to a fault. The urgency of Tom's medical
condition was also something that he tended to keep hidden. We
have to accept that that is how he was. Nevertheless, and
without question, had he felt able to share some of his more
pressing concerns we, his family, colleagues and friends would
have stood ready and anxious to provide support advice and
assistance. That was not to be.' The Archbishop went on, 'It may
be that clergy experience a particular difficulty in seeking
help for themselves when so much of their energies are devoted
to providing support and help to members of the wider community.
If that is so, it is something we must now address. I suspect
that the stresses and often the isolation of clerical life are
insufficiently appreciated. I make no pretence that remedies are
always easy to find. Nevertheless, I want to appeal to my
colleagues in ministry not to neglect themselves, but to seek
the support they may need without any sense of personal
inadequacy. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our people and
we owe it to the God whom we are called upon to serve. I want to
say to Tom's family, to all those who were privileged to have
been close to Tom in life, and also to the parishioners of St
Colman, Dunmurry, that we all share the depth of your loss and
your unutterable sadness. You, who were richly blessed by the
enjoyment of Tom's company and deep spirituality in life, will
surely be sustained in days to come by a rich bank of memories
and much thankfulness.'
The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, said, 'This is
a terribly sad day and we assure the family of our love and
prayers.' The Bishop will be preaching in St Colman's Parish
Church on Sunday 2nd September.
The funeral service was followed by cremation at Roselawn. Mr
Priestly is survived by his parents and a brother and sister.
30/08/2007
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