Brian Quin,
S M, died yesterday. Requiescat in pace.
He will spend Holy Week with God.
Brian was a
holy priest. I’m proud to say that I am one of his many first cousins, and I
feel bereft.
Brian stood
6ft 7in and possessed a fine bass singing voice. The boys at St Patrick’s
Silverstream, where he taught geography, including my three sons, called him
‘Chewie’ after the character Chewbacca in Star Wars, for his speaking voice.
I’m proud of
Brian because he always wore his roman collar when most of his brother priests
do not, for reasons of humility I’m told.
Well, Brian was a
humble priest. If he hadn’t been humble he’d not have been holy – but he wore
his collar with pride I believe, the same holy pride exhibited by St Paul who
gloried in nothing but the Cross – and in these times of Modernity gone Mad,
the Cross is perhaps heavier because there are fewer to carry it.
I’m proud of
Brian because he stood and spoke and wrote for life when so few of his fellow
Catholic priests did so.
I’m proud of
Brian for being the first priest I knew who learned and spoke te reo. And for his patient years of
scholarship, translating the early letters of the French Marist priests who
were largely responsible for bringing the Catholic faith to New Zealand.
New Zealand
is the poorer for his passing.
Fr Brian's Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Mary of the Angels, Wellington, on Tuesday March 27, at 1.30 p m.
No comments:
Post a Comment