Silver Jubilee of the Episcopal Ordination of His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien - 5th August 2010 - Feast of Our Lady of the Snows.

His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien at the door of St Margaret's Chapel.

My dear friends

At this time, I commemorate 45 years since my priestly ordination on 3 April 1965, the Silver Jubilee of my Ordination as a Bishop on 5 August 1985, and 7 years since my creation as a Cardinal on 21 October 2003.

I thank God for those who have helped me on life’s journey for the ways in which I have been used as God’s servant and the servant of his people. And I ask forgiveness of God and of others for any hurt which I have caused to anyone.

When asked to be Archbishop in 1985 and to choose a motto, I happily thought of the words from Psalm 99: ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness’. In a special way, I thank God for that gladness which he has given me throughout my life and for the ways in which he has helped me share my own joy and gladness in my vocation with so many other people in Scotland, in my native Ireland and indeed in so many other parts of the world. I would like to think that my words and the photographs in this booklet might encourage others to think and pray about their vocation in life – and as to whether or not God might be calling them also to be a priest.


SEEDS OF A VOCATION : 1938 – 1965

Born on St Patrick’s Day 1938 in the beautiful seaside town of Ballycastle in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, I was brought up as a member of a close-knit family, with my mother and my younger brother, while my father, because of his war service in the Royal Navy was absent for a high percentage of the time.

Central to my life, as well as my extended family, including my grandmother, aunt and uncle, and cousins, was our parish church of St Patrick and St Bridget and our local Catholic schools, where I was initially educated by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion and then by the local Catholic teachers.

At the end of the war, my family initially moved to Glasgow for some 5 years, again benefitting from the local parishes, especially St Stephen’s, Dalmuir and the primary and secondary schools, including St Patrick’s High School, Dumbarton. I finished my secondary schooling in Holy Cross Academy when my family moved to Edinburgh in 1954 – a city which I have been happy to call ‘home’ ever since.

Initially deferred from junior seminary, then senior seminary because of a heart murmur, I was then accepted by Cardinal Gray, following on my university studies and had a very happy 6 years at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange. Having completed my training there, I was ordained by the then Archbishop Gray in St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh on 3 April 1965 and was, I thought, ready to face the world as a priest!.

Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien with Archbishop Mario Joseph Conti and Fr Dario, Vice Rector of the Pontifical Roman Seminary, Fr Gerry Devlin Chaplain to St Mary's University London and Priests of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

YEARS AS A PRIEST : 1965 - 1985


My initial appointment as a priest was to Holy Cross Parish in Edinburgh – as Cardinal Gray had asked me to complete my teacher training at Moray House College of Education and the University of Edinburgh. I valued my parochial contacts in Holy Cross, but especially the opportunity of getting to know much better the then Monsignor Monaghan, who was to be my Assistant Bishop in future years. Following my teacher training, I was appointed to be assistant priest in St Bride’s, Cowdenbeath with Father Sean McGeown as parish priest. During these five years, I was also employed by Fife County Council as a teacher, initially in the old building of St Columba’s Junior Secondary School in Cowdenbeath, before our school moved to a site in Dunfermline and became a one-stream comprehensive. I have never forgotten those early years or the lessons I learned, particularly from staff and pupils. My Principal Teacher of Chemistry once said to me: “Never forget, when dealing with your pupils, that you might be the only person showing them any love from morning till night!”.

I was very happy to move into full-time parochial ministry after my five years’ school experience – initially in St Patrick’s, Kilsyth and then in St Mary’s, Bathgate, under two very different pastoral priests, Father Denis O’Connell and Father James Bernard Walsh. My love of people was nurtured in these two very wonderful parishes where I made very many friends and found it a great wrench leaving each parish in turn.

Cardinal Gray then appointed me as Spiritual Director of St Andrew’s College, Drygrange, and again I found a very different vocation awaiting me. The Cardinal had stressed to me that ‘priestly example’ was vitally important and I saw that as one of my priorities. I had a very happy relationship with my students, as well as with the other priestly members of staff and the Sisters of
Mercy, who had initially been on the staff when I was a student.

These years came to an end with my appointment as Rector of St Mary’s College, Blairs, the then National Junior Seminary. Again, I received much great support from outstanding members of staff, both priests and lay, as we endured a rather difficult 5 years with a decreased number of students and soaring costs. But times were changing in the Church – and only one year after my appointment as Archbishop, the decision was made by the Bishops of Scotland to sell the National Junior
Seminary.

 

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Cardinal O'Brien with  Archbishop Conti, Clergy and Staff of Gillis Centre after the Jubilee Mass in St Margaret's.

PASTORAL YEARS AS A BISHOP : 1985 - 2003:


My time at Blairs ended abruptly when I was called to the Apostolic Nunciature before the end of term in May 1985 and told that Pope John Paul II wished me to be Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. The date of my Episcopal Ordination was fixed for 5 August 1985 and I was ordained Archbishop in St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh by Cardinal Gray, with the co-consecrators being Archbishop Bruno Helm, the then Apostolic Nuncio and the late Cardinal Winning, then Archbishop of Glasgow, with Bishop (now Archbishop) Conti, then Bishop of Aberdeen being the preacher. Life became even more hectic for me after that – although I realised that I had to be a ‘still point’ of prayer and calm in a busy Church in an even more busy world.

I was delighted that initially Bishop Monaghan remained as my Assistant Bishop until his retirement; to be succeeded by the late Bishop Rafferty, who was my Assistant Bishop from 1990 until 1996, when he had a rather sudden death from cancer.

During these years as a pastoral bishop, I enjoyed my Ad Limina visits to Pope John Paul II in Rome. As well as the formal reports, there was also the opportunity of four meetings with the Pope:
on a one-to-one basis; along with my brother bishops from Scotland; concelebrating an early morning Mass with the Pope in his private chapel; and an evening meal with the Pope in his private apartments.

I had the opportunity of growing together with my brother bishops as a member of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland at our very regular meetings. I was constantly amazed at the workload undertaken by my brother bishops — not only at these meetings, but on a day-to-day basis in their own dioceses. I fulfilled roles on various National Commissions during these years – one of which has continued without interruption, namely my presidency of Catholic Youth Service Scotland and more recently being Episcopal President of the Union of Catholic Mothers.

I had the privilege of celebrating the annual Chrism Mass with and for my brother priests each year and of getting to know them better, not only at formal meetings of our Assembly of Clergy and Council of Priests, but almost on a daily basis in their own parishes.

I enjoyed my regular pastoral visits to the parishes of the Archdiocese, invariably beginning my day with a visit to the primary school; continuing the day on house to house visits to the sick and elderly parishioners; meeting groups of involved parishioners in the early evening, especially members of parish pastoral councils; and concluding the day with a Mass in the parish, which was invariably followed by some form of social event. My visits to primary schools, our 10 Catholic secondary schools, and the universities within the Archdiocese also continued on a regular basis.

Pastoral events overseas which gave me great encouragement were my visits to Bauchi in Northern
Nigeria, which had been staffed by priests, religious sisters and lay people from our Archdiocese for about 40 years; and then my visits particularly to El Salvador, meeting our priests there – as also joining them on pastoral visits to Chiapas in Mexico and Guatemala.

Throughout this time, I maintained a regular output of sermons on a variety of topics, as well as increasingly having to address national issues after the death of Cardinal Winning in 2001 and my own election as President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

 

His Eminence Cardinal O'Brien with Archbishop Conti, Priests of the Archdiocese and Visitors from Rome.

APOSTOLATE AS CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP : 2003 – 2010

My life again changed rather abruptly on Friday 26 September 2003 when I received a telephone call from Archbishop Pablo Puente, then Apostolic Nuncio, asking if he could speak to me privately, indicating that he had good news to convey. The news was: “The Holy Father has chosen you to be a Cardinal” and he indicated that the announcement would be made the following Sunday at 12 noon, Rome time. A great flurry of activity followed on the official announcement from Rome – and it was almost with a sigh of relief that I flew to Rome with a great gathering of ‘supporters’ to be created a Cardinal by the late Pope John Paul II – with the first ceremonies taking place outside St Peter’s Basilica on 21 October 2003 when I was created Cardinal Priest of the title of Ss Joachim and Anne ad Tusculanum; and concelebrated the Mass of the Rings on the following day, 22 October 2003, with Pope John Paul II and my brother Cardinals.

I was initially appointed by the Pope to serve on two Pontifical Councils – the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications – with a third being added some five years later when I was also appointed to the Presidential Committee of the Pontifical Council for the Family. My public work in Scotland also increased with many calls being made on my time to fulfil engagements in other Dioceses of Scotland.

Among my most outstanding memories is being called to Rome, following on the death of Pope John Paul II and taking part in the funeral Masses; and then being a Cardinal Elector at the Conclave which elected Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope on 19 April 2005, with the Solemn Inauguration of his Papacy taking place on 24 April 2005.

My apostolate in Scotland continued as a member of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and, of course, as Archbishop where my pastoral work continued as it had been before, although obviously I had to reduce the time in my Archdiocese because of my many other commitments. In Scotland I spoke out frequently on the values of family life and on a great variety of life issues, including speeches at the time of the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act; when embryo research was continuing apace; when attacks were being made on human life near its natural end; and I also spoke out strongly against nuclear war and the proposed renewal of the Trident Nuclear System.

I continued supporting the work of our Archdiocesan missions and other missionary visits were made to Bauchi in Northern Nigeria, as also to Kenya and Tanzania. As Chairman of our Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, I had the opportunity of visiting various countries in the world, supporting the apostolate continued with finances from Scotland, including Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Darfur in the Sudan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malawi and Zambia – as well also as visiting Vietnam and China.

I have had a very fulfilling life so far – from my first faltering steps in the priesthood to my present position as Cardinal Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. I would not have managed to achieve anything at all if it had not been for the tremendous support of priests and people of my own Archdiocese and indeed throughout Scotland, as well as the ongoing help and support of my brother Bishops – with the prayers of many people, known and unknown, near and far. Celebrating these various anniversaries at this present time, I would now hope that my pace of life will be decreasing somewhat – giving me more time for prayer, recollection and reading – thanking God all the time for the wonderful call which he has given to me to serve as a priest and as a Bishop.

May God indeed bless and reward you all.

Yours sincerely in Christ

+ Keith Patrick Cardinal O’Brien

Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

Cardinal O'Brien with The Visitors from Rome. Fr Dario from the Pontifical Roman Seminary and the PP of Ss Joachim and Anne Fr Alberto Contini

All Photography by and Copyright of Paul Mc Sherry.

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