Today, Saturday 1st December 2007, in the presence of a several hundred parishioners of St. Peter’s Cathedral Parish, Divis Neighbourhood, Belfast, two Bishops and twenty Priests con-celebrated a Requiem Mass in Thanks for and in Celebration of the Life of Father Sean Crummey SDB.

Father Sean’s elderly sister was too infirm to travel from her home in Scotland but his many nephews and nieces and their children attended. They assisted with aspects of the Service and provided the musical and singing accompaniment.

In his Homily, Father Provincial, Father John Horan SDB, recalled the course of Father Sean’s life beginning with his arriving at Shrigley aged 12 years from Belfast. He charted his progress to religious Profession and Ordination in Blaisdon and subsequent professional life achievements as a Salesian teacher of boys. Finally, Father Sean’s 15 retirement years spent as a loved and valued Parish Pastor when he returned to his beloved Belfast were illustrated. Father Sean’s contributions to fraternal community life and his patient acceptance of increasing physical frailty were acknowledged by Father Provincial and thanks were expressed to his professional Nursing Home Carers and the unwavering caring commitment extended by members of his family.

Father Provincial generated spontaneous laughter when he recounted a story about Father Sean celebrating an erstwhile great County Down Hurling victory with instructions to a barman: “Whiskeys all round to fellow priests and a ‘Holy Picture’ please for the Pioneers among them

Before The Final Commendation Bishop Ryan (Diocese of Connor & Down) thanked the Salesian Province through Fr. Provincial for seconding Father Sean to St. Peter’s Cathedral Parish. He praised the devotion of his elder Salesian partner and recalled the words of St. Paul. "Though the body show signs of age and decay it is renewed by the inner life of the spirit." The affection and regard with which - the mature in years - Father Sean was held by his fellow priests, community Sisters and parishioners was testament in the great witness today for his dedicated service in life, their attendance at his funeral and their collective farewell.

Other Significant Personal Highpoints & Impressions of the day:

Before the Service I introduced myself to Father Sean’s family members and they were delighted that I had come to represent The President and Members of Blaisdon Past Pupils (Old Boy’s) Association.

A Pallaskenry Salesian Agricultural College Old Boy - who I chatted with earlier - went out of his way later to introduce me to Father Provincial.

Father Provincial and his three accompanying Priests’ were friendly, interested and gave me a genuine welcome.

A short talk with a St. Peter’s Parish Sister; She is a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, she helped in respite-care for Father Sean and confirmed for me how greatly loved he was by all who knew and met him in his parish duties.

The Divis area experie