The Requiem Mass for Fr Kevin Knox-Lecky took place on 22nd
October 2014 at 11:30am at The Shrine of Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury where
Fr Kevin had been a parish priest for thirteen and a half years before moving
to St Alphege's Bath. The Church was
packed to overflowing with people standing along the sides at the back and
upstairs with the choir. Bishop Declan and Bishop Emeritus Crispin (of
Portsmouth) processed into the Church along with many of the Priests from the
Diocese. It was a great testament to how loved
Fr Kevin was by the people of the Clifton Diocese and indeed by many
others from further afield.
It was a beautiful Mass celebrated by Fr Andrew
Goodman. The choir sang Subvenite as Fr
Kevin's coffin was brought into the Church.
This being a prayer asking the heavenly host to accompany Father Kevin
to God's welcoming light. The sung
Epistle was 1 Corinthians 15 51-57 and the Gospel was according to St John 5,
25-29. The singing throughout the Mass was
very spiritually moving and the times of silence were profound and intense. Bishop Declan gave the Funeral oration. He talked with fondness about the quiet and
unassuming nature of Fr Kevin which belayed his talents in the field of music
and languages. Fr Kevin had a great love
for music and had prodigious talent. He had
played the organ at his school at the age of eight and could easily have
followed a career as a professional musician.
He studied for the priesthood in Spain and was a fluent Spanish speaker
as well as being proficient in French and German. Bishop Declan then went on to say that most
of all Fr Kevin treasured the Word of God and applied this throughout his
ministry as a parish priest, always leading by example.
The Absolutio super feretrum followed the oration. The choir sang the Libera me, Domine which
prays for deliverance and that the departed may enjoy eternal life. Incense was
placed in the thurible and blessed. Whilst
saying the Lord's Prayer Fr Goodman sprinkled the coffin with Holy Water and
incensed it. A final prayer was said for
Fr Kevin's soul humbly asking God to bid his holy angels to receive him and
through his faith in God that he may be spared the pains of hell and possess
eternal joys. The procession then left
the Church as the choir sang:
In paradisum deducant te Angeli:
in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem.
Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lararo quondam pauper aeternam habeas requiem.
May the angel host escort you
into Paradise:
May the martyr throng receive you
at your coming,
and lead you into the holy city,
Jerusalem.
May a choir of angels receive
you,
and
may you find eternal rest with Lazarus.
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