Fr Alan James Fudge. First anniversary.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the death of Fr Alan Fudge, the much beloved pastor of St Charles Borromeo church in Ogle Street, London.

He made his final Passover at 3 o'clock in the morning of the 5th August 2011 as his companions recited the Creed. He died "Professing the Faith of Our Holy Mother the Church" as he had expressly hoped in an earlier letter concerning his wishes for his funeral.

With beautiful timing it was the day after the feast of St John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, and just before the feast of the Transfiguration.  

The Mass yesterday was beautiful. The church was packed, and the Homily was given by the recently ordained Fr Ivano.  Fr Alan had attended his ordination to the diaconate in June last year, just two months before he left us. Fr Ivano reminded us that he has left very clear instructions for his funeral. One of these was that he wanted no panegyric, just a simple announcement of the Kerygma. The Good News of Jesus Christ in whom death has been conquered. Alleluia! 

In his funeral, as throughout his ministry as a priest,  Fr Alan preached Christ to us.

I was sitting near the baptismal font where he baptised our youngest Marie-Aibhlinn and over which he had lain in his coffin the night before his funeral at the Cathedral. To see him resting there had certainly made vivid the powerful symbolism of the baptismal waters. 

I thought about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, about Christ's baptism in the Jordan, about Blessed John Paul II venerating his own baptismal font in Wadowice,  about all the souls Fr Alan brought into the life of Grace in that font and about my own death. I hope I die as holy a death as Fr Alan.

After Mass we went to St Mary's graveyard in Kensal Rise and prayed the Rosary together and sang the creed.

I was surprised he had such an ordinary little grave. I shouldn't have been of course. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?

Ps 41:3

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.




 

  Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.

Thursday night saw Fr Alan return for the last time to the little church of St Charles Borromeo in Ogle Street.

For the last time he boldly announced the Gospel and gave us a message of hope. 

As he lay in his coffin over the sunken baptismal font he "broke the bread of The Word", and delivered his final, most eloquent Kerygma.  

Those waters of death into which he had plunged countless new Christians, and brought them out into new life, were the same waters over which his body now reposed in death.

He had died, as he had wished, affirming the faith of our Holy Mother the Church.

When the Creed was prayed in the packed church on Thursday night, the confidence with which the words were announced made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and brought tears to my eyes. This is our faith, the faith of the Church.

Thanks be to God.

"He is not here, for he is risen as he said he would"

The book of the Gospels, resting on his coffin, was open to the Easter Sunday reading from Matthew. 

After the liturgy, many stayed behind to "keep him company" in prayer.

Pale faced and sombre, they came forward to kneel before his coffin,  to kiss it and pray. 

Love is stronger than death. 


It was very peaceful and consoling to sit quietly in the church with the others.
I thought about Fr Alan and all the lives that he had touched, the souls he had brought close to Christ .
I thought about how he had poured his life out for the people of God. How tirelessly he had worked.

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.   

 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

    Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

And now his pilgrimage on earth is over. He is home at last, in his Father's House.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

     As they pass through the Valley of weeping, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

    They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

With a full heart, I looked at the place over the font where his coffin rested and remembered Marie-Aibhlinn's baptism last year.
I little imagined that he would not see another Christmas at Ogle Street.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

     For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.  

 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you

"Ephphata" Be opened.
"The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May He soon touch your ears to receive His Word, and your mouth to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father."

Here are the two video's ( one oddly sideways) of Marie-Aibhlinns baptism last year. 

It is especially poignant to watch them now.

I am thanking God for Fr Alan's ministry, and for the privilege of having known him.

And I'm praying for the grace of perserverance, so that, like him, I will run to the end, the race marked out for me. 

 

 

 Fr Alan's funeral was on Friday, at Westminster Cathedral, it was a beautiful service and the cathedral was filled to standing room only.
He was buried at St Mary's cemetery in Kensal Green.

Fr Alan Fudge. An opportunity to spend some time with him in prayer.

Thank you to the people who have left comments about Fr Alan. There are some very touching reflections on what his ministry meant to people, Catholic and non Catholic alike. It is really moving to read, thank you.

This morning a helpful comment was left with the following information which is worth sharing.

For those who want to see Fr Alan, spend time in prayer in front of him etc, you can do so at the funeral parlour

A France and Son [Holborn]
45 Lambs Conduit Street
LONDON WC1N 3NH

0207 405 4901

Mon - Fri 9 am to 5 pm

This is a good opportunity to spend some time with this servant of God and ask him to add his powerful prayers to our more feeble ones.
I have some special requests to make! 

Fr Alan James Fudge: Funeral arrangements.

Many thanks to the commenter who shared this information in the comments.

Because all the bishops will be away at World Youth Day, Fr Alan's funeral will be delayed until their return.
 
Here are the details:

Fr Alan Fudge's funeral is confirmed for 11.30AM
FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER IN WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL.

Fr Alan's body will be
brought into Ogle Street at 1pm on Thursday 1st September and kept
overnight in the church.

There will be a liturgy in the church on Thursday evening, and I shall put up the details of that when I recieve them.

UPDATE:

Thursday 01 September

St Charles Borromeo

14.00 body into the church

20.00 liturgy of the word

Church will be very full, best to arrive early.

Friday 02 September

Westminster Cathedral

11.00 body into church

11.30 funeral mass

There is no need to be afraid

First God calls. Then God converts us. We are not called because we are already converted. With the call comes the grace for a change of life. Slowly at first. In fact, slowly all the time.

Our lives will change when God acts and we do not resist his action. Our lives change, will change when God calls and we do not ignore his calling. Our lives will change when God chooses and we do not reject his choice.
Today we pray that when the Lord acts, here in Ogle Street, his action will not be resisted by you! And when the Lord calls, here in Ogle Street, his choice will not be rejected - by you!
Meanwhile you will be very relieved to know that not all priests are like me! Priests come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us are nice. Some of us are very nice indeed. And some of us are not nice at all!
This is to assure us that God is not a selection committee. If he were, I would not be writing this now. God chooses whom he chooses. God could even choose you. Yes, you!
Listen to God’s call today. There is no need to be afraid. If God risks on you, risk on him.

Fr Alan Fudge. 29th April 2007