THE FORMER parish priest at St Helen’s RC Church in Barry has paid tribute to Pope Francis following his death on Easter Monday.
Canon Pat O’Gorman, 80, known by everybody as ‘Father Pat’, served as parish priest from 1997 until his retirement in 2022.
Fr Pat enjoyed his time in Barry so much that he decided to stay in the town after retiring, and while he no longer has any formal responsibilities, he continues to make himself available to say Mass as holiday and sickness cover throughout the archdiocese, including at St Helen’s.
On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis appeared on the balcony at the Vatican in a wheelchair to deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the city [of Rome] and to the world) address, after which he rode among the crowd in the Popemobile.
At breakfast time the following morning, it was announced that he had died, and later, his cause of death was revealed to be a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. Fr Pat says it was an Easter of differing emotions: “In one sense, people would’ve been sad but not necessarily surprised because he’d been so ill.
“In context, it was amazing to see him on Easter Sunday, and a common interpretation is that it was his farewell to the people,” he said.
Pope Francis was known for his personal warmth, approachability and humour, and he shunned many of the trappings of office, choosing to live in the modest surroundings of the Domus Santa Marta guesthouse rather than the lavish papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St Peter’s Square.
Fr Pat believes these qualities meant the people of Barry felt a strong affinity with the late Pope: “There was a simplicity about him in the way he lived, the modes of transport he used, and the fact he carried his own bags.
“But he also had a very strong conviction of what he was about. He had a vision of which he was quite definite on what the church should be and how he should lead it and guide it.
“The people of St Helen’s in Barry are part of a global family, and Pope Francis was our ‘Pater familias’, the head of the household, leading and guiding the people, and his words had a certain amount of weight, and they were encouraging words.
“The Pope spoke frequently about the mercy of God, and he reminded us that God is loving, and from that flows His mercy. If we turn to God and ask for forgiveness, we will always be forgiven, these words give us hope, and it helps us to strive a bit better for things.”
Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday at an outdoor Mass in St Peter’s Square, attended by world leaders and dignitaries.
Fr Pat outlined what he would like to see happen to the Catholic church in the time ahead. He said: “Pope Francis has given us a vision of the Church as the people of God, and we need to reflect on how we build on that.
“Each one of us has a role. We may have different functions, but we all have a part to play in the mission of Christ and of how to bring that good news to the people, God’s love for us, God’s mercy for us, and the message that in spite of all that’s going on around us, life is worth living.
“There are some wonderful things going on in the world, and sometimes we forget that with the wars and the financial situation. But if we live by the spirit of the Gospel, fundamentally, we have very little to fear, we recognise the brotherhood and sisterhood of all. We have different opinions, but we’re all looking for love and we’re capable of giving it.”
A recent survey entitled The Quiet Revival, commissioned by the Bible Society and conducted by polling organisation YouGov shows that church attendance in England and Wales has increased by 50% over the past six years, and that young people aged between 18 and 24 are the second largest demographic in attendance, behind those who are 65 and over.
The trend is especially strong with young men, with 21% of those aged 18-24 saying they attend church at least once a month, compared with 12% of young women.
The survey found that 41% of churchgoers aged 18-35 in England and Wales identify as Catholic, while 20% belonged to the Anglican church and 18% identified as Pentecostal. Overall, Catholics now make up 31% of all churchgoers, compared to 23% the last time a similar survey was carried out in 2018.
Fr Pat believes the charisma and warmth of Pope Francis partly explains the revival, but he also believes young people are searching for deeper meaning in their lives. He said: “If something is shallow, it’ll always be shallow, even if it’s dressed up very well, and we’re very good at dressing things up in society.
“But if they have no roots and they have no strength, what is the foundation for them? We can distract ourselves with certain things, but ultimately, we always have to face the reality, and if that reality isn’t built on sound foundations, the whole thing collapses.
“That’s why, for our age, the message of the Gospel is so, so important. It gives us values, direction, purpose and meaning. All these attributes are there if you look at its heart and its core.”
Local news, sport, letters and advertising is welcomed by the Glamorgan Star newspaper with over 33,000 in print readers.
.
- Pencoed tangled up by ‘Seaweeds’
- Primary school’s former deputy head is banned from teaching
- I make no apologies for calling Plaid Cymru ‘separatists’
⭐ All of our social media in one handy place – here
Pencoed tangled up by ‘Seaweeds’
Primary school’s former deputy head is banned from teaching
I make no apologies for calling Plaid Cymru ‘separatists’
‘The importance of participation and continued learning’
Opposition leaders clash with First Minister over independence rally
How Kevin saved a stranger’s life
