More than 12 Diocesan priests and Bishop Terence, who presided, joined Fr Joe Brennan when he celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for his 60 years of priesthood at St Hilda’s, Whitby, on 23rd July. Representatives from parishes where Fr Joe had served were in the congregation. The concelebrants included Fr David Grant and Fr Pat Cope who had been altar servers for Fr Joe at Sacred Heart, Hull – his first appointment as an assistant priest in the Diocese.

In a prayerful but witty homily, Fr Brian Nicholson – who pointed out he was the fourth choice as homilist due to others being on family holidays or recovering from surgery – outlined Fr Joe’s service initially as a Holy Ghost Father who initially joined the Diocese on loan and then in Hull, Grangetown, Eston and Northallerton. Fr Brian spoke of the importance of priestly vocation, reminding the Congregation that retirements this year from parish pastoral ministry of four priests with more than 200 years of priestly service to the people of the Diocese had put great pressure on the Bishop to ensure the people still had weekly Mass available to them.

Just prior to the Final Blessing, Bishop Terence spoke in thanks of Fr Joe’s service and how he continues to provide ‘supply cover’ for priests on holiday. He asked for prayers for vocations, thanked all who had taken part in the previous Sunday’s Vocations Walk which had concluded here in St Hilda’s. He said as from September, we would have five young men studying for priesthood and he asked for prayers for them. Finally, he thanked Fr Neil McNicholas for hosting this celebration Mass.

Fr Joe finally thanked everybody for coming to his celebration and for cards and prayers sent to him.