THE Lord Jesus has promised to raise up for His people, shepherds after His own heart (Jeremiah 3:15) and faithful priests who will do what is in His heart and mind (1 Samuel 2:35).
Since his ordination in 1956, Fr Aidan Denny was such a priest for the People of God.
He was a gentle, wise, humble and holy pastor who was a blessing to the people he served in Loughguile-Magherahoney, Ballymoney, Whitehead, St John’s, Holy Trinity, Strangford-Kilclief and, in his latter years, Corpus Christi in west Belfast.
To observe Fr Aidan at prayer was to see a man lost in the depths of God. He was a great teacher of prayer and the school from where he had graduated, well trained and qualified, was his union with Jesus, the Eucharistic Word.
He drew others to know, love and serve Jesus, through his faithful priestly ministry.
In west Belfast, the locals have a saying “The west is best”. Fr Aidan served in west Belfast for much of his life, during the years of terrible violence and unrest – in Ballymurphy, New Barnsley, Moyard, Springhill, Westrock and Turf Lodge.
In the early 1990s, his good friend Bishop Patrick Walsh kindly thought to give him a change of scenery and a rest, by sending him to the tranquil beauty of Strangford and Kilclief.
However, for Fr Aidan “the west” was still best and, after a short time in the Kingdom of Down, he asked if he could return to make his home once more in the well-loved shadow of Sliabh Dubh. Bishop Walsh agreed and Fr Aidan returned to Corpus Christi parish, never to leave again until the Lord called him to his eternal home.
Fr Aidan died as he lived – “in harness”, with his boots on. He was busy with his Master’s affairs to the very end.
On May 28, he had as usual celebrated Mass in the Church of the Annunciation. He had been busy in John Paul II Primary School that day where the children loved him so much and, in the evening, he had visited two prayer groups in the parish.
Sometime during the night of May 29 or in the early hours of May 30 Fr Denny became unwell and, when he didn’t arrive for Mass on the Wednesday morning, the alarm was raised and we found him, gravely ill. He was called home aged 87 on Sunday June 2, the Feast of Ascension of the Lord.
His beloved family, his nephews and nieces, especially Marie who took care of him daily, his grand nephews and grand nieces, his brothers in the priesthood and his parishioners, past and present, give thanks to God for the life of this quiet and gentle servant of the Lord and faithful pastor of God’s people.
Yes, he was soft-spoken and self-effacing but the witness of his life spoke eloquently and crystal clear.
His daily Mass, his daily prayer before Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, his love for the people he served, his attentiveness to the sick at home and in hospital, his kindness and compassion, his faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word. These are the ways in which Fr Denny put before us “the whole purpose of God” and faithfully carried out his mission of bearing witness to the Good News of God’s grace.
The Lord Jesus has told us to ask Him to send labourers into the great harvest. We ask You, dear Lord, to send us more labourers such as Your good and faithful priest, Fr Aidan Denny.
Fr Patrick McCafferty PP
Corpus Christi, Belfast
