Congregatio Sacerdotum a Sacro Corde Jesu
Dominus pascit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in pascuis virentibus me collocavit … et inhabitabo in domo Dominiin longitudinem dierum (Ps 22,1-2.6)
On April 21, 2015
in Scunthorpe, England,
our dear confrere
Fr. Philip BAILEY,
of the Great Britain and Ireland Province (GBI),
has returned to the house of the Father.
Born: 09/11/1927; 1st prof.: 08/09/1945; ord.: 22/12/1951.
R.I.P.
Rome, April 22, 2015.
THE GENERAL SUPERIOR
Philip died peacefully last night, Tuesday 21 April, at Scunthorpe General Hospital. His health had been failing for some time. With Philip’s death we again lose someone who was connected to the early days of our Congregation in Britain and Ireland.
Philip was born on 9 November 1927 in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire. From the age of 11 he attended the Sacred Heart Fathers’ junior seminary there, moving at 16 to the senior seminary and making his First Profession on 8 September 1945. After his Profession he concluded his studies in Rome, gaining a Doctorate in Theology at the Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest on 22 December 1951 at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. He then spent almost twenty years teaching Scripture to the SCJ students at Malpas, Cheshire, before going to Appley Bridge as Rector in 1973, and serving as Provincial from 1974 – 77. After this he became Parish Priest at Market Rasen, where he stayed for thirty years, at the same time taking on the job of Chaplain at RAF Binbrook until its closure in 1988. In 2008 he retired to St Norbert’s, Crowle, before moving finally to Greenacres Care Home nearby in 2015.
Throughout his life Philip enjoyed many varied interests, including writing and study, history, languages, woodcarving, photography and gardening. He was a quiet and gentle man but was very available to all his parishioners. He is very fondly remembered by many of them, who visited him in hospital. Yesterday afternoon Philip was visited by one of the priests from Scunthorpe and after his death the local Dean said the Prayers for the Dead.
So let us commend Philip to the Lord, whom he served all his life. We pray too for Philip’s sister Zita, his niece Margaret and her husband Martin.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
John Kelly SCJ
Provincial Superior
