Fr John Hughes OCD RIP

We heard recently of the death of Fr John Hughes OCD.  He had been a presence in the Boars Hill Priory for several years.  I had occasion to visit the friars a few times at their priory and he was the doorkeeper, always quietly spoken and charming.  We would chat about our shared Yorkshire roots.  He was if memory serves from the Sheffield area, my parents were Bradford folk.  He was one of those people whose quiet presence offers a reassuring sense of normality.  For many years in earlier days I dreamed of being a leader figure, the captain of the troops, the goal scorer at the Cup Final, but I came to the gradual realisation that there can be only a few such persons and that I did not have those gifts.  However, the gift of offering a quiet and reassuring and supportive presence in the background is precious indeed.  When I think of Fr John, I think of the seventeenth century Carmelite Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, whose classic work The Practice of the Presence of God has endeared him to millions down the years.

Intercessions:

Marie, Bernard, Agnes – cancer

Elara, Siena – sick children

Rosemarie – multiple afflictions

Fr John Hughes OCD RIP