Happy Twentieth Anniversary to Father Kevin!

In a few days time it will be the twentieth anniversary of Fr Kevin’s ordination to the priesthood. To mark the occasion, we decided to present him with a card and gift at the end of the 9.30am mass today.  

However, when you have a very alert and observant parish priest, getting anything past him is very difficult. So, the congratulations card was kept in an envelope in a linen tote bag that was furtively passed around. Any signings in church had to be done stealthily, with lookouts posted. When Fr Kevin came into a room conversations suddenly stopped or veered onto unusual or banal topics. Once, he wondered aloud why so many people were congratulating him on his upcoming anniversary...Anna reminded him that the Parish Team had mentioned it in passing; maybe people were surprised he looked so young for having accumulated 20 years on the job? Such was our dilemma for the last two or three weeks.

Today, at the end of the 9.30 mass, Fr Kevin mentioned that a new fortnightly newsletter was available and asked the rhetorical question “Does anyone have any announcements?”

Cees van Berkel seized that moment to bound onto the altar from his customary place in the choir , declaiming “Yes, I do – I have an announcement!”. I’m sure Fr Kevin’s heart was racing but we had at least one doctor in the congregation, and were well prepared. Cees explained that Fr Kevin was shortly to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of his ordination, and then spoke movingly of the impact he had made on the Sacred Heart Church, his spirituality, dedication, enthusiasm - and the affection that we all felt for him.

 

 Then young Clara processed up the aisle holding the congratulations card out in front of her. The congregation, initially stunned, then bemused by the interruption, broke into applause. Father Kevin clearly had a lump in his throat but, after expressing his thanks, recovered sufficiently to manage the final blessing and to introduce the closing hymn.

Shortly after, we assembled in the Parish Rooms for the customary cuppa following the 9.30am mass. There was a cake in the shape of the number ‘twenty’ for Fr Kevin to cut, and he opened his card and gift – a Thompsons Holidays Gift Card. We did remind him that the idea was to take a well-merited holiday but that, wherever he went, it was strictly to be a round (return) trip – we want him back. He was clearly delighted, we were clearly relieved – life can now return to normal in the Presbytery – and so ended another joyous moment in the history of the Sacred Heart in Hove.