In Memoriam
FATHER THOMAS FRANCIS KEEGAN
The eldest of four children, Thomas Francis Keegan was born in South Africa on 26th May 1916. The family returned to Ireland in 1925 to live in Killican, Co. Westmeath. He studied for the priesthood at Maynooth and was ordained there for the Diocese of Meath in 1942. He was sent in temporary mission to the Diocese of Leeds, but, in 1947, he was incardinated into the Diocese and remained there happily, and later in the Diocese of Hallam, until his retirement in 1996.
St Patrick's, Leeds, was his first curacy. Here he adjusted quickly to the priesthood and had special responsibility for the large St James's Hospital where he administered to patient and staff alike. He moved to St Cuthbert's, Bradford where Mgr. John O'Connor (Chesterton's detective 'Fr. Brown') was parish priest. Mgr. O'Connor was known to regale his curates with words of wisdom, gems of witticism and limericks galore. Fr. Keegan committed these to memory and later used them in his sermons. There were two other appointments, at Batley Carr and Clifford, before his first appointment as parish priest at St. Helen's, Hoyland in 1957. It was from Hoyland that he came to St. Williams, Sheffield in 1960 and remained until his retirement in 1996.
Every parish that Fr. Keegan served left its mark on him. He would speak of the people with affection and gratitude for all that he had learned from them. He loved his books and had within him a powerful drive to integrate everything that he had learned, so that history, geography, science, literature and theology would be welded together in his understanding. His parishioners benefited from this and grew in their spiritual lives.
Fr. Keegan was, above all, a priest. It was his mission to shepherd his flock and to contribute to the life and growth of the parish. Throughout his life he was committed to visiting schools, the hospitals and other institutions; he had a special care for the sick. In St. William's, Mylnhurst and St, Wilfrid's schools were part of his weekly agenda. He possessed a special gift with regards to parishioners; he knew each one. Neither bookishness nor learning took him away from the priority of the human person.
At the age of 80, Fr. Keegan retired to Mylnhurst Lodge, by the generosity of the Sisters of Mercy, for which he was eternally grateful. He would spend many hours in prayer and sustained by a strong hope. God blessed him with the gift of peacefulness and deep gratitude and all who visited him experienced this in a profound way.
He died at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield on 1st March 2004. He loved Ireland and his wish was to return there to his final resting place.
"Here to return and die, home at last" (Oliver Goldsmith, 'The Deserted Village')
May he rest in peace.
Pauline Carberry
FATHER PETER McARDLE, S.J.
Peter McArdle never thought of himself as an intellectual, so it is perhaps surprising that on leaving school and feeling that he had a vocation to the priesthood and religious life, he should have applied to the Society of Jesus, an order which has something of a reputation in that respect. He was accepted and followed the course of training which was standard for young Jesuits at that time.
He spent two years as a novice at Manresa House, Roehampton, followed by a further year of "juniorate" in the same house. At the end of his noviceship, on 8th September 1939, he took his first vows as a Jesuit The following year he went to Heythrop College to study Philosophy. After three years of Philosophy he began what is known as his 'regency' and was sent to teach at Barlborough Hall School, where he spent six happy years before returning to Heythrop to study Theology. At the end of his third year of Theology, on 8th September 1951, he was ordained priest. After a further year at Heythrop he moved on to St Bueno's College, North Wales for his 'tertianship' - a final year of spiritual formation. After leaving St Bueno's he was sent once again to Barlborough where he taught a variety of subject - English, French, Geography and RE (RD or Religious Doctrine as it was called in those days). One event which would have been of great personal significance to him during this time would have been the taking of his final vows as a Jesuit on 2nd February 1955.
He became headmaster of Barlborough, but found that he was cut out for the job and transferred to Mount St. Mary's after just a few months, where he taught from 1960 to 1972. Then it was back to Barlborough to teach until he retired from teaching and became 'Spiritual Father' or Chaplain as we would say now. Finally, in 1977, he retired to St. Wilfrid's, a Jesuit parish in Preston. He had suffered from angina for many years and, as this became more acute, he moved to a nursing home in Preston. He died in the Royal Hospital, Preston on 21st July 2004. His funeral was celebrated in St. Wilfrid's Church on 28th July. The church was filled with parishioners and friends and there was not enough room in the sanctuary for all the fellow Jesuits who concelebrated.
Fr. Peter McArdle spent some fifty years - all his working life - at Barlborough Hall and Mount St. Mary's. During that time his simple piety and evident goodness had an enormous effect on literally thousands of boys and girls. He will be remembered with affection by generations of schoolchildren, not so much for his classroom teaching, but because of all he did for them outside the classroom - his care for their spiritual growth and the myriad of activities he organised for them outside the classroom.
May he rest in peace Peter Willcock SJ
FATHER MAURICE KEENAN
Born 14th January 1932, studied for the priesthood at Ushaw College, ordained at Sacred Heart Hemsworth on 16th July 1956.
Served the Lord at :- St. Bernard, Halifax; St. Theresa,
Sheffield; Holy Family, Leeds; St. Catherine, Sheffield; St. Joseph, Batley
Carr; St. Peter, Doncaster;
St. Joseph, Barnsley; St Helen, Oldcotes.
Died 14th September 2004
An Appreciation.
I first met 'Uncle Maurice' in July 1970 on Binario 22 of Stazione Termini in Rome. A few days earlier I had learnt that my first appointment on leaving the English College was to be St Peter-in-Chains, Doncaster and lo and behold my parish priest was arriving a few days later for a holiday at Palazzola, the College's villa above Lake Albano. I made sure I was in the welcoming party - a fact which impressed my new boss. With a couple of other Leeds' guys we had our first meal together in a trattoria and I began to get used to the jokes and the banter that would be part of my life for the next three and a half years.
It was an excellent time. My concern at being in the deep south of the diocese at a time when the talk of a new diocese based in Sheffield was in the air was dissipated by the fact that I had an approachable, friendly parish priest. The age of the P.P. as a tyrant had then not entirely passed.
Maurice was an excellent mentor, though one had to learn not to take him too seriously when he counselled that a certain course of action was 'good for votes'; or came out with such phrases as: 'Once you can do sincerity, you've got it licked.'
We shared two passionate concerns: a love of the English language with a desire to communicate well especially in preaching; and Leeds United. Watching football on TV together we would compete to spot first the commentator's crass use of words ('Colemanballs' as Private Eye would dub them). You know the sort of thing: "His favourite left leg was just not long enough." or "Both sides have settled for a draw, except Leeds they never give up." Just as enthusiastically we tried to out-preach one another, though when one of us was stuck (usually me) the other was generous in sharing ideas.
Maurice had many interest: reading, crosswords; he was a keen bird watcher and in later life took up painting, mostly landscapes, I think. He was an avid cinema-goer - he watched a film on the day of his final collapse, and of course, a collector of jokes. It was impossible to meet Maurice and not hear the latest in his collection. As a joke-teller he was a popular turn at clergy dinners.
Maurice suffered a severe stroke in 1994 that left him unable to speak. With great courage and determination, he re-learnt this basic skill. Preaching then became the centre of his life. He would begin on Monday morning and work on the next Sunday's homily as long as he could. He would revisit his work each day and improve it and them spend time practising it. What used to come (seemingly) easily was now exhausting work. But he remained determined to the end to make the preaching of the Good News his life's work. He also managed to return to making speeches at clergy dinners.
The last ten years of his life were an ordeal, a painful struggle. But they were also a triumph of spirit. It was a purgatory through which Maurice learnt patience, humility and the need to depend on others with trust. None of these came easily to him. It was a time of life which, please God, was his apprenticeship for sainthood.
Rest in peace, my friend. Mgr. John Ryan
FR GERRY BURKE
Born in Bradford on 6th October 1931
Studied for the priesthood at Ushaw College and The English College Lisbon
Ordained to the Priesthood at the English College, Lisbon on 11th
June 1960
Served the Lord at:
St Peter’s Bradford; in Peru; Chaplain, Oxford University; English Martyrs,
Askern; Our Lady and St Thomas, Sheffield
Died on 17th March 2005
Fr Gerry was born in Bradford to Edward and Cecilia Burke and had four brothers and two sisters. He was baptised at St Mary’s Church and attended St Mary’s Primary school. He then moved on to St Bede’s Grammar School , Heaton where he stayed for 5 years before moving to Ushaw College to begin preliminary studies for the priesthood. After completing his National Service in the RAF he went to the English College in Lisbon in 1956 to complete his studies. It is there that he was ordained on 11th June 1960 by the Archbishop of Lisbon. .He served as a curate in St Peter’s Bradford before spending time in Peru as a missionary under the auspices of the Columban Fathers.
On his return to England in 1970, he studied for a Certificate of Education and worked as Chaplain to Oxford University. His first appointment on return to the Diocese as Parish Priest was to English Martyrs, Askern, in 1975. It was while he was here that he used his hobby of violin making and playing to help the unemployed young people of the area. He set up the Donluti Violin Workshop to provide employment and expertise to those interested in music. He moved to Our Lady and St Thomas, Sheffield in 1990 but ill-health forced an early retirement. For some years he lived at Mother of God presbytery in Sheffield and spent much time as a volunteer at St Wilfrid’s Drop-in Centre. As his health deteriorated, Fr Gerry moved into residential care and he died peacefully on St Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2005.
May he rest in peace.
MGR MICHAEL KEEGAN
Born 14th September 1926
Ordained to the priesthood in Rome on 20th
December 1952.
Served the Lord at: English Martyrs, York; Sacred Heart ,Goldthorpe; St
Michael, Wombwell; St Joseph Moorthorpe; St Bede, Rotherham; Corpus Christi
College, London; St Joseph, Handsworth; Blessed
Trinity, Wickersley; Valladolid, Beda College.
Died 5th April 2005
Mgr Keegan Studied for the priesthood at the English College and Gregorian University before being ordained priest in Chiesa Nuova on 20th December 1952. He spent ten years in curacies at English Martyrs, York, Sacred Heart, Goldthorpe, St Michael Wombwell and St Joseph, Moorthorpe before returning to study at Strawberry Hill and Trinity and All Saints Leeds. His first appointment as parish Priest was to St Bede’s Rotherham where he spent two happy years before returning to academia, this time as Principal to Corpus Christi College, London.
He returned to the diocese in 1975 to be parish priest at St Joseph, Handsworth. It was while he was here that he was appointed Vicar General of the new Diocese of Hallam in 1980 and the following year was made Prelate of Honour to the Pope. He moved to Wickersley in 1984, but the call of education was strong and he became a theology tutor in Valladolid in 1992 before returning to England and becoming Chancellor of the Diocese from 1992 to 1997 before returning to Rome to the Beda College, Rome as Spiritual Director until 2000. He returned to the diocese settling happily at St Anne’s, Burghwallis for his final years. He died peacefully on 5th April 2005.
May he rest in peace.
FR FRANCIS HORVATH
Born Harasztifalu, Hungary on 13th April 1928
Ordained priest 4th April 1954 in Innsbruck for the Diocese of Szombathely
Served the Lord at: St Mary, Derby; St Peter,
Grimsby; Corpus Christi, Cleethorpes; St Thomas, Gainsborough; St Patrick,
Harworth; Immaculate Conception, Rotherham; Our Lady and St James,
Worsbrough; St Edward, Brinsworth.
Died 11th April 2005
Francis Horvath was born in 1928, the eldest of four children at Harasztifalu, Hungary, close to the Austrian border. A bright pupil, Frank was accepted as a church student at a difficult time politically for Hungary. He studied first in the Diocese of Szombathely, and then with a worsening political situation, to the Jesuit Theological Institute in Innsbruck, Austria. He was ordained by the Bishop of Innsbruck on 4th April 1954 for his home diocese. The mid-fifties was a time of great political unrest in Hungary, and the new priest was unable to return to his native land.
Fr Frank was invited to England, to the Nottingham Diocese and began his long career as a priest. His first curacy was at St Mary’s Derby, a place where he could minister to many of his compatriots who had sort refuge and work in the East Midlands. After a second curacy at St Peter’s, Grimsby, a busy port, he was appointed as parish priest to Corpus Christi, Cleethorpes, then on to St Thomas, Gainsborough in 1965.
His next move, to St Patrick’s, Harworth , then a thriving mining community, left him well placed to join the Diocese of Hallam at its inception. He was parish priest of two further parishes, St Mary, Herringthorpe and Our Lady and St James, Worsbrough, before moving to his final appointment, St Edward, Brinsworth with St Charles, Attercliffe.
Fr Frank was a gentle, humble man, well read and much loved by his people and always supported by his devoted housekeeper, Sheila. After his move to Brinsworth in 1994, his health began to fail, but not his determination to serve the Lord as priest. He celebrated his Golden Jubilee in 2004.
He will be remembered as a man widely read in philosophy and theology A very prayerful man with a great sense of humour and a love of company, he maintained a ken interest not only in the affairs of his native country, to which he never returned, but of the whole world. His hobbies were gardening and his beloved cats, of which there had been quite a few over the years. The Dioceses of Nottingham and Hallam have good reason to be grateful to Fr Frank Horvath for 50 years of loving service to the Church.
“Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the rest which the Lord has prepared for you!”
Ian Battersby & Sheila Harvey
FATHER MICHAEL DALY
Born 8th November 1916
Studied for the priesthood at Mount Mellaray and All Hallows, Ordained priest at
All Hallows on 22nd June 1942
Served the Lord at: St Theresa, Sheffield; St Anne, Keighley; St Edmund,
Airedale; St Patrick, Sheffield
Died 16th May 2005
Michael Daly was born in Firies in County Kerry on 8th November 1916. He was one of eight children and survived to be the last of his generation. After preliminary studies at Mount Melleray and Leeds Seminary, he finished his studies at All Hallows, Dublin where he was ordained for the Leeds Diocese on 21st June 1942.
He was appointed Curate at St Theresa’s Sheffield, where he became well known for his love of sport as he helped to coach the football team. A second curacy at St Anne’s, Keighley led to his first appointment as parish priest in 1958 at St Edmund’s, Airedale. Here Fr Daly showed his great love for the poor and his splendid business acumen – paying the bills with the profit from his “bingo” club. It was said that he could “wrap the miners round his little finger.”
In October 1970, he was moved to St Patrick’s, Sheffield and duly arrived accompanied by his dog Kerry. He was primarily responsible for establishing the school nursery and building the McCauley Centre. He was a good priest, entirely committed to his people, and he had a special care for the poor and the sick.
After 32 years as Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, he retired to Sandygate at the other side of Sheffield. He was lonely though, “for his people” and regularly returned to St Patrick’s particularly for Requiem Masses. A bad fall in his hotel in Lourdes meant he returned home with a broken arm, injured ribs and two black eyes. The Sisters of Mercy at Highbury Convent lovingly nursed him back to a partial recovery. In spite of all predictions, he drove his car again, but his health began to fail.
He spent some time in both Claremont Hospital and St Luke’s Hospice. He knew he was dying and asked to be buried in Shiregreen cemetery among his beloved parishioners. He died on 15th May 2005. St Patrick’s Church was packed to overflowing for his Requiem Mass, a measure of the love and high regard in which he was held.
May he rest in peace.
Sr John Langan RSM
FATHER JOHN HARLAND JACKSON
Born 4th October 1922
Studied for the priesthood at Ushaw College
Ordained at St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds on 13th April 1947
Served the Lord at : Christ the King, Leeds; St
Thomas More, Sheffield; Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Leeds; St Wilfrid, Ripon;
St Joseph, Dinnington; St Philip, Leeds;
Blessed Sacrament, Athersley; St Patrick, Harworth.
Died 17th June 2005
John Harland Jackson was born on 4th October 1922, and was brought up in the parish of St Joseph’s, Castleford where his father was Headmaster of the parish school. After his early schooling there, he continued his education at St Michael’s Jesuit College in Leeds. He then studied for the priesthood at Ushaw College and was ordained by Bishop Poskitt at St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds in 1947.
In 1985 Bishop Moverley appointed him as the parish priest of St Patrick’s, Harworth, his final parish, where he served the community for twenty years. During this time he also served as the Chair of Governors at St Patrick’s RC primary school a role which he enjoyed immensely. He was dedicated to the welfare of the school and its pupils and was a frequent visitor.
He was a priest of deep spiritual conviction and could often be found of an evening sat in his favourite corner of the church in prayer and contemplation. However, he was also very down to earth and had a deep understanding of the needs of the community he served so faithfully and loyally. He always had time for any visitor but being a very private individual could not abide a great deal of fuss and was not shy in informing you of this.
Father Jackson had a reputation for eccentricity and visitors to his house would often find his living room in a state of organised chaos and his kitchen filled with the odour of jam making. Some grown up parishioners have fond childhood memories of being taken blackberry picking by Father Jackson following Sunday morning Mass and it was these expeditions which provided the raw material for his home made jam. His modes of transport were also surprising as he always chose to have a large 4x4 jeep type vehicle but he was also to be seen riding around the village on a rather ancient bicycle.
He loved to read and operated an informal book exchange amongst his parishioners; murder mysteries were always a popular choice with the works of Agatha Christie or a Sherlock Holmes story being among his particular favourites. He had a smile that would light up a room and possessed a very dry sense of humour which some people would say bordered on the mischievous. He would often have a joke to tell or a funny story to recall and only he would think of naming his dog Jezebel!
He was a humble man who lived frugally but was known for his generosity to the poor and sick. Every year he would organise Christmas parcels for the elderly and infirm of the parish. He was devoted to the people of his parish and would give his time to those who were troubled or ill, making extensive home visits to provide comfort and guidance.
He was active in promoting links between the various denominations in the area and was well respected by the people of other churches. This was reflected during the celebration of his jubilee in 1997, which was attended by members of the whole village community.
Above all, Father Jackson was a priest who wished nothing more than to serve the Lord and his parishioners. This could not be more clearly demonstrated than by his determination to continue to serve his parish “right up until the end” (as he put it) despite his deterioration in health. He will be remembered as man who cared so much for others and kept on caring even when he was in pain. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed by a very grateful community.
May he rest in peace.
Paul Woods
FATHER CHARLES GARDINER, CM
Born 3rd June 1929
Entered Vincentian Novitiate 7th September 1946
Ordained Priest 30th May 1954
Served the Lord at : St Paul's College, Raheny, Dublin, St. Cedd's
Goodmayes, Essex, Castlenock College, Dublin, St Vincent's, Sheffield, Sacred
Heart, Mill Hill.
Died 20th October 2006
Charles Gardiner was born in Ballina, Co Mayo. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin and, at the age of 17, entered the Vincentian Novitiate at St Joseph's College, Blackrock on 7th September 1946. He studied at University College, Dublin and Theology at St. Kevin's College, Glenart, Co. Wicklow. He was ordained priest on 30th May 1954.
Fr. Gardiner's priestly service was split between Ireland and England and between academia and parish work. His first appointment, shortly after his ordination, was to the teaching staff of St Paul's College Raheny, Dublin. He also taught at Castleknock College and at Notre Dame High School, Sheffield.
He worked in three parishes in England, first in St Cedd's, Goodmayes, Essex, then in St Vincent's Sheffield and, finally, in Sacred Heart, Mill Hill, North London. He came to Sheffield in 1988 and remained at St Vincent's until 1996, almost until the Vincentians handed the parish into the care of the Diocese. He was highly regarded by the people of St Vincent's, particularly for his conscientious pastoral care and the regular visits he made to sick, elderly and housebound.
An obviously excellent mathematician, he had a capacity for detail. This shaped his interest in computers, which increasingly occupied him in the last twenty-five years of his life. What fascinated him was the devising of programmes. It was the technical challenge that attracted him, rather than the more pedestrian use. He is credited with some of the computer programmes that were initiated at St. Vincent's.
After God, Fr. Gardiner's abiding life-centre was his family. Both his mother and father came from large families. He had two sisters and brothers, who all married and had families. He was proud of them and was interested in all their doings, with that affectionate curiosity and retentiveness that characterised him when dealing with the things that mattered to him. Weddings and baptisms were the cement on which his family relationships were held together and he was always happy to be available for such occasions.
Through all the years, Fr Gardiner was a consistent person with his own special style. In each of the parishes in which he worked he showed the same capacity to forge warm family relationships, backed by a detailed knowledge of the doings of the family, a knowledge that was topped up regularly as he visited through the years. His final appointment was as Chaplain to St. Paul's College. Raheny, where he had served immediately after his ordination. He became ill in the summer of 2006 and he died in Dublin on 20th October.
Through all of his priestly life the linking thread was a deep interest in and concerns for people. They sensed it and mourned at his passing.
May he rest in peace.
DEACON LEN McKIE
Ordained Deacon 28th November 1999
Served the Lord at:
St Peter in Chains, Doncaster
Doncaster Royal Infirmary
Died 3rd November 2006
Lennard McKie, or Len as he was known by all, was among the early deacons ordained for the Diocese. Len and his wife Sue were converts to the Church. They were parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Bentley. From the outset they were actively involved in the parish and gave of their talents freely and generously in the service of the mission of the Church. Len showed a particular love and reverence for the Liturgy. He was greatly influenced by the late Fr. Ned Geaney who was parish priest of Bentley. At this time too Len found the role of altar server a great honour.
Ever keen to develop his knowledge of the Catholic faith, he attended the Adult Education programme at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre. Such was his enthusiasm, that he influenced many more from the Doncaster area to join the courses. The numbers grew so much that the Doncaster contingent attending the pastoral centre became known as "the brain train".
For Len however, his new found faith was not merely a cerebral faith. For those who knew him, it was no surprise when he expressed the desire to be ordained a Deacon one day. He wished to serve the Church wholeheartedly and he believed he could do this more effectively as a deacon. After several years he realised his dream when he was ordained by Bishop John at St Marie's Cathedral. An indication to his commitment to his work as deacon was shown when he resigned his post from South Yorkshire Transport, where he had served for many years as driver, inspector and in management.
Len ministered as deacon at St Peter-in-Chains parish and as Chaplain to Doncaster Royal Infirmary. When once addressing a group of aspiring deacons, Len asked them the question "Can you wash each others feet? If you can", he reminded them, "you will make a good deacon." One can almost recognise that question as the hallmark of his life.
As a person and as a deacon, people came first with Len - whether it was presiding at the marriage of a young couple, or conducting a funeral service, or visiting the sick person in hospital or tending to the orphan in Romania. People came first in all their weakness and ambiguities as well as in their potential and real goodness.
Towards the end of his life the Parkinson's disease he had intensified.
This too he accepted with his characteristic smile and patience. He died
on 3rd November 2006 and is buried at St Ann's, Burghwallis, close to his one
time parish priest, friend and mentor, Fr Ned Geaney. To Sue and all of
Len's loving family we offer our prayers and appreciation.
May he rest in peace.
MONSIGNOR DONAL BAMBURY
Born 27th September 1922
Studied at All Hallows College, Dublin
Ordained 23rd June 1947
Served the Lord at:
St Mary Magdalene, Cudworth; St Patrick, Sheffield; St Columba, Bradford; St.
Joseph, Bradford; Pur Lady of Mount Carmel, Doncaster; St Malachy, Halifax; St
Brendan, Bradford; St Alban, Denaby Main.
Died 18th April 2007.
Donal Bambury was born at Ballylongford, near Listowel in County Kerry, Ireland. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows Seminary, Dublin and was ordained priest for the Leeds diocese on 23rd June 1947.
He was curate in the Leeds diocese before becoming, in 1965, parish priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Doncaster. He served in several other parishes before arriving at St Alban's Denaby Main in 1979. Thus, he was parish priest in the newly-created Diocese of Hallam in 1980. On arrival in the parish, he set out on foot to visit all his new parishioners and spent some time in each house. Mgr Bambury was deeply loved not just by the Catholic community, but also by the whole community of Denaby and nearby Conisborough. He was a man of prayer, a good preacher and had a deep love of the Mass. His faith was at the heart of his life and he was an inspiration to those considering the call to the Catholic priesthood.
He shared the joys and sorrows of his people. One of the most turbulent times was the 1984/85 miners strike, when he offered help to the whole community, supporting miners families in many different ways. This was formally recognised by the Cadeby NUM Branch, which presented him with a miner's lamp. He also found joy in the achievement of his people, such as the gold medal won by his parishioner John-Jo Irwin at the Commonwealth Games and the celebration, in 1990, of Sr Sales Diamond Jubilee.
He had a close friendship with Rev Reg Davies, Vicar of All Saints Anglican Church, Denaby. Each year he would celebrate Mass in the Miners' Chapel at All Saints in memory of victims of the Cadeby pit disaster.
In recognition of his involvement in the local community, Monsignor Bambury was given the Freedom of the Borough of Doncaster in March 1994. It was also at this time that he received the rank of Monsignor. This recognition brought great joy and encouragement to the people at a time when the area was suffering great upheavals. In October 2002 the community honoured him further by naming a newly built bridge after him. The Bambury Bridge links Denaby with Mexborough by crossing both the railway line and the River Don.
He also served as a Chaplain in the Territorial Army from 1951 to 1973 and was given the rank of Major. In 1967 he was awarded the Territorial Decoration in recognition of twelve years of commissioned service. In 1971 he was presented with the Clasp to the Territorial Decoration - the only person in Yorkshire to receive this award at that time. Mgr Bambury loved sports and, in particular horse racing. He returned home to Listowel every September, attending the races there. He was also a regular visitor to Doncaster Racecourse. He received wonderful support throughout his priestly ministry from his housekeeper, Margaret Stretton. There were a great team.
Monsignor retired from Denaby in 2002 and went to live at St Anne's Nursing Home, Burghwallis, where he continued to celebrate Mass for the residents daily. He died peacefully on 18th April 2007.
He was a faithful priest who loved God, loved the priesthood and loved his people. May he rest in peace.