“A callow youth” who, at the tender age of 12 years, had allowed himself to be “persuaded by Launcelot John Goody to come and help him found St Charles’ Provincial Seminary,” is how Archbishop Timothy described Fr Pat Cunningham’s journey towards priesthood in the homily at this beloved priest’s Requiem Mass.
“How grateful we should be,” said Archbishop Costelloe, “for Archbishop Goody’s powers of persuasion!”
Archbishop Costelloe opened his homily with impromptu words speaking of the importance of this particular week in the life of the priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Perth.
“It all began” he stated, “with Fr Pat’s death on the Friday morning, which was later followed by the ordination of six fine young men to the diaconate that same evening.
“Then,” he said, “The clergy engaged in a memorable evening at Aquinas where we were able to celebrate the gift of priesthood.”
The thrust of the Archbishop’s words revolved around the “simple words from the Preface of the Dead,” reminding the vast throng of priests and congregation present in St Mary’s Cathedral that “for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven”.
Those present were reminded that “as a priest, as a man of faith, Fr Pat certainly believed this,” and that as he was dying, “this faith in the life that awaited him was not just some form of conventional religion, but a deeply felt and unshakeable conviction,” as he faced his death “with such courage and peace.”
An overview of his life saw Fr Pat studying in Perth and in Rome, and ministering across the Archdiocese either as an assistant priest, priest-in-charge or parish priest, at parishes in Highgate, Applecross, York and Narrogin, Subiaco, Leederville, Chidlow and Wundowie, Kensington, Nedlands and Mundaring.
In recent years, he had been welcomed to make his residence at Clontarf alongside the Christian Brothers, with whom he had a “life-long connection” and among whom he found both “great support and great friendship”.
Archbishop Costelloe praised Fr Pat’s service as editor of The Record, his role as “chaplain at what is now St John of God Hospital in Mt Lawley,” his involvement with the Catholic Education Office in Leederville and with the Sisters of Mercy at Wembley.
In particular, said the Archbishop, “Pat will also be remembered for his work in keeping our diocesan statistics up to date as he will for the fact that right up until his death he was still attending meetings of the DRC.”
Those present were given “some sense of Fr Pat’s extraordinary outreach… people he has touched, families helped, broken-hearts healed, confused and worried people pointed in the right direction.”
“It is one of the most remarkable, and most humbling, aspects of our Catholic tradition,” the Archbishop went on to say, “that our priests become such important people in the lives of so many. It is a great privilege but also a heavy responsibility. Fr Pat shouldered it willingly, generously, and faithfully.”
“In speaking about the priesthood” he continued, “it is very important that we go beyond the things priests do to the deeper reality of who our priests are.” The Archbishop then invited the congregation to “pause for a few moments and remember the ways in which Fr Pat was, personally for you, a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd.”
Archbishop Costelloe ended as he had begun, with the reminder that “for Fr Pat, life has now changed not ended. As his earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for him in heaven.”