Farewell from Fr M

With two days of my tenure remaining as OU Catholic Chaplain, I should like to thank everyone who has made the last two and a half years so interesting and rewarding. It’s been a pretty challenging time in many ways and neither I nor the chaplaincy would have survived without the patience and understanding of Nicholas Purcell and the Newman Trustees, the support and imagination of Bishop John Arnold, Dominic Moseley and Monica Turner, the friendship and support of Bishop William Kenney and the pastoral care of Archbishop Vincent Nichols. The Oxford Board have been steadfastly encouraging and we are immensely grateful to the members of Trust and Board who have volunteered to form the new Chaplaincy Management Team, led by Helen Merrington-Rust, that is transforming the running of the operation. Nothing would have been possible without the indefatigable generosity and commitment of Fr Roger to the chaplaincy and I owe him an immense personal debt of gratitude as well as to Sr Nora, who hung on in when two Jesuits came from somewhere else and saw us through the first year and a half. A thousand thanks too to Susana Lee, our Administrator, who does so much unseen work that makes the running of the chaplaincy possible.

The many students, undergraduate and post-graduate, together with the Senior Members and their families, who come over the threshold are the reason why the chaplaincy exists. You have been a delight to work with and I wish you all every happiness in your work, your studies and your faith. An especial thanks to the three generations of Cathsoc, the Newman Society, CAFOD, SVP, and all the groups that help with liturgy and make the Chaplaincy a living community.

It has been great to see the spirit of a Catholicism that is joyful, intelligent, confident and open to the world, alive and flourishing here. It is that which inspired me about the chaplaincy when I was an undergraduate and long may it continue.

A final heartfelt thanks to Alex and Simon, whose arrival has provided fresh impetus and energy to the work here, as this very middle-aged chaplain found himself flagging.

Interestingly I am the third shortest-lived chaplain in the history of the chaplaincy. The second shortest was here for a year and the first shortest went down with the Lusitania. However, if I may quote the words of the world’s most famous Styrian: ‘I’ll be back’.