At the beginning of the Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr Simon Broughton’s two years as assistant priest in the Cathedral parish, the main celebrant Monsignor Ricardo Morgan gave a short welcome message to the congregation of around 150 who had braved bitterly cold winds to make their way there.

Initially seated behind Monsignor and Deacon Len, Fr Simon was barely visible to the congregation and was asked by Monsignor to move across the sanctuary and sit next to Fr Gerard and Deacon Ken on the other side so that people would be able to better see him (bad move, Monsignor).

In his homily on the theme of ‘giving’, Monsignor Ricardo thanked Fathers Simon and Gerard for giving up successful careers and giving of themselves in answer to the call to priesthood. I think Monsignor Ricardo sold himself a little short at this point, as we all know he himself gave up a glittering dance career to answer God’s call. He thanked everyone who had heeded the call, in whatever role they have within the Church, but made it clear that the Church could not exist without our priests. The people are the Church and the priests are the link with God, adding that ‘older priests have dreams to look back on, but we look to the younger breed of priests to have vision and to carry that vision to the future’.

Monsignor Ricardo, in presenting Fr Simon with a leaving gift, expressed the thanks of the parish for the work he had done and his untiring nature in carrying out those duties. Mention was also made to the many jokes that Fr Simon has in his portfolio. but I think that should be left for the Sacred Heart/St. Patrick parish and Fr John Paul Leonard to comment on at a later date. Fr Simon, we have suffered enough at the Cathedral.

In response to the presentation, Fr Simon said life is full of encounters and he has shared some wonderful ones as a priest at the Cathedral and as a member of the Chaplaincy team at James Cook University Hospital, recalling that during one of his visits a man made it quite obvious that he was not going to ‘encounter’ a man dressed in black wearing a Roman collar. Going on, he told us, that, with great difficulty, the man got to his feet from the edge of his bed and shuffled his way out into the corridor. As Fr Simon is Fr Simon, before he left the ward to he went in to say hello to this man, who had by now made his way back to his bed; adding that this was one ‘encounter’ that guy would not forget. He thanked everyone for their friendship during his time at the Cathedral.

A tasty buffet in the hall, prepared by Mandy McCaffrey and her team followed Mass, at which a celebration cake was cut by Fr Simon as the parish wished him good luck for the future.

Paul Bowen