Going up the mountain, Jesus called unto him whom he would himself and they came to him. (Mark 3:13)

In these words St Mark, in his Gospel, describes the call of the Apostles as a group – they were the first priests. Down the years that call of Jesus echoes round the world, calling men and women to the priesthood and to the religious life. Fr Michael Joseph O’Connor answered that call over 50 years ago. It was a call which he answered with great generosity and dedication. No doubt the prayers of his Irish parents, Daniel and Annie, played a large part in Michael’s response.

He became a good priest, a holy priest, a happy priest who said his prayers. God blessed him with many gifts which he used generously in the service of God’s people.

One of those gifts was that of sharing responsibility – let us call it delegation. Some priests, old-timers like myself, were ‘one man bands’. We didn’t always get it right but so often our faithful people supported us – ‘yes Father, no Father, three bags full Father’. ‘Leave it to Father’. Fr O’Connor had that gift of sharing and people rallied round; not because they felt sorry for him but because his enthusiasm rubbed off on them. In the present situation in the Church, because of the lack of vocations, I’m afraid both priests and people will have to get used to the necessity of that kind of co-operation.

Many people may not realise that Fr Michael was born in the Orkneys 77 years ago. His father was in the service of the coastguards and posted to Withernsea when Michael was three years old. So Annie O’Connor brought her daughter and four sons to face the icy blast of the North Sea on Yorkshire’s coast. Michael was the youngest. He received his early schooling in Withernsea, then to the Marist College in Hull. At 17, he went to Ushaw College and was ordained priest here in St Charles on 28th July 1957. His first appointment was to Corpus Christi Parish in Middlesbrough, where he found Fr David Quinlan as Parish Priest and myself as Curate. It was a new parish and the work was hard. But we enjoyed in spite of the housekeeper and her 13 cats! After one year with Michael, I escaped to St Wilfrid’s in Hull. He followed me a couple of years later, to Sacred Heart Parish in Southcoates Lane. The Parish Priest, Canon Austin Pippet, and himself are still remembered with affection in that district. Then, after eight years, back to the smoke of Middlesbrough – to St Patrick’s. His Parish Priest was Fr Dan Cahill – who is here with us this afternoon to pray for him.

In 1972, he climbed the mountain – he became a Parish Priest – not a very high mountain – he was appointed to St Theresa’s in Loughill. After a year there, he transferred to a new site on Wembley Park Avenue. He bought two port-a-cabins and a caravan and established the Parish of St Francis of Assisi. After nine years he moved to the comfort of Hornsea – glad to be back by the sea. And in 1996, he graduated to the luxury of Our Lady of Lourdes, Hessle, where he remained until retirement in 2002. Mind you, when he retired he didn’t just go into hibernation! In spite of being unwell, he was ever ready to supply and help out where needed. Nothing was too much trouble for him.

That short history of dates and places is well documented. What is not documented – except in Heaven and in the minds and hearts of the people – is an account of the good he accomplished: the devotion he gave to those committed to his care. Where will you find a list of the Masses he offered, the Sacraments administered, the visits of consolation to the sick, the hours spent helping the dying, the comfort and consolation given when needed. All that is known to God who will reward him.

He will be remembered for a number of things – his love of the Mass, his devotion to Our Lady shown in his support for the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. A number of us will thankfully remember him for the pilgrimage holidays he helped to organise to Rome, Assisi, Santiago de Compostela and Malta. We should have thanked him more. He was a great one for THANKS. Do him a favour or a kindness and always without fail – by post, telephone or in person – he hastened to say ‘Thank you’. I think he took the story of the 10 lepers, and the one who gave thanks, very much to heart.

Not surprisingly, he had a love for the sea and became a trustee of the Hornsea Inshore Rescue. Some of the crew were here last evening to pay their respects. For many years, he was the Voice of the Church on Radio Humberside and Radio Teesside.

Fr Michael was a very caring priest. People meant much more to him than goods and chattels. No doubt he would be the first to admit that he wasn’t perfect. Like us all, he had his faults and failings. That is why we now pray for him, commending him to God’s love and mercy.

I said Michael was a man of thank yous. He would never forgive me if I didn’t take two minutes to thank certain people for their unstinted care of him in his last illness. Our thanks and appreciation to the hospitals and staff who cared for him, to the district nurses and the Marie Curie nurse, they couldn’t have done more. Thanks to his GPs, Dr Andrew Green and Dr Helen Rhodes, they visited him four or five times a day. A special word of thanks to Kate Grey who has taken care of him for years, and to Valerie Conway who seemed to be with Kate night and day at the end. To them we offer sincere thanks and sympathy. They were wonderful. Our sympathy also extends to Fr Michael’s niece and nephews.

The Bishop visited him three times during his final days. Thank you, my Lord, that was appreciated. And I must not forget Fr Bill Ryan, the Parish Priest of Hedon – he was outstanding – he really shepherded Fr Michael into Eternal life. Fr Bill, I hope that when my turn comes, there will be a priest like you there to see me off.

May I finish as I began by going back to St Mark. ‘Going up the mountain, Jesus called unto him whom he would himself and they came to him’. That call still goes out to the world – Jesus is ever calling and appealing for disciples. So as you remember Fr O’Connor in your Masses and prayers, please, please pray for vocations. Ask the Holy Spirit to help young people get their priorities right, to inspire them to respond to the Call of Jesus to the priesthood and the religious life, so that the work of priests like Fr Michael will continue to flourish – may we never be sheep without a shepherd.

Fr Michael has gone to join his father and mother, his sister and brothers – let us pray for them.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. May they rest in peace. Amen.