Father Tony Maguire 1927 - 2003

Fr. Tony Maguire was born in 1927, the younger brother by about ten years of Fr. John, commonly known as Fr. Jack, who died in 1991. All his life Fr. Tony revered his elder brother, and it was not surprising that he followed him into the White Fathers' Junior Seminary in Bishop's Waltham. This was towards the end of the Second World War, while Fr Jack was interned in Paris with the British philosophers from Kerlois, of whom Fr Tom O'Donnell is probably now the only survivor.

Fr. Tony went through the usual programme of philosophy, novitiate and scholasticate, and, was ordained with thirty-five other students from Monteviot in Galashiels by Archbishop, later Cardlinal, Gordon Gray on 31st. May, 1952.

Fr. Tony had an exceptionally lively and attractive personality, and his appointment to work for the promotion of the White Fathers in Britain had something inevitable about it. He stayed in this work for eleven years, eventually taking over from Fr. Gerry Rathe as Superior in 1954/60. He was based in Sutton Coldfield, but his work took him all over the country. Such a charming man could not fail to be a great success in this work, and children especially loved his good humour and sense of fun. He was also a gifted mimic and actor. At the same time, he was an efficient worker and a good organizer.

Eleven years was an unusually long period to spend in this work and, in 1963, Fr. Tony was finally released. After making the Long Retreat in Rome under the guidance of Fr. Delfijk, he was appointed to the diocese of Mbarara, in Uganda, then under the direction of Bishop Ogez. Fr. Tony was more fortunate than most English-speaking White Fathers in that he managed to avoid being trapped in schools and seminaries and spent the whole of his six years in Uganda in parish work, principally Makiro, Butare and Kagamba. He settled down very well in Africa, became fluent in the language, Runyankole, was greatly loved by the people, and seemed destined for a long and happy pastoral missionary ministry. In 1969 however Fr. Bernard Duffy, the newly-appointed Provincial of Great Britain, asked him to help him as provincial Treasurer, and so Fr Tony's missionary life came to a sudden and premature end.

He worked very hard as Provincial for eight years, among other things organizing the transfer of the Provincial House in London from Holland Villas Road to Stormont Road, and he seemed fairly happy in this very demanding post. In 1977, it was time for a change. These were the Amin years in Uganda, and Fr. Tony apparently did not feel able to return there after such a long absence. During his years in Sutton Coldfield he had become friendly with a number of priests in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and it was this experience that led him to think of settling down there. So it came about that he left the White Fathers, to the great regret, it must be said, of all his confreres, and shortly afterwards became incardinated in the Archdiocese of Birmingham where he spent the rest of his life, principally as the much-loved parish priest of Tipton, Sollihull and Knowle.

He became parish priest of St. George & St. Teresa’s Roman Catholic Church in Dorridge in 1988 and it was during his time there that he oversaw the building of Blessed Robert Grissold Catholic Church in Balsall Common. One memory of his time in Dorridge includes the introduction of the Harvester’s pre-school group in the Church Hall, which was suitably decorated with children’s artwork. Fr Maguire also introduced the Children’s Liturgy which plays an important part in the Sunday Mass for the children.

Fr. Tony Maguire's priestly life was therefore almost equally divided between the White Fathers and the Archdiocese of Birmingham. In later years he came occasionally to the funerals of his former confreres, but inevitably there was a certain distance and the White Fathers largely lost contact with him. We only heard of his illness a week before his death. The funeral was celebrated in Avon Bassett, near Leamington, on 22nd. July, 2003. Archbishop Vincent Nicholls presided, with a good number of diocesan priests and White Fathers. Members of Fr. Tony's family were also there, including two of his brother Tom's daughters, Mary and Paddy.

We missed you sadly, Fr. Tony, after you left us, but we look forward to a happy reunion in due course in the house of the Lord whom you served so faithfully.

May He Rest In Peace

Taken from a tribute by Fr. John O'Donohue WF from The White Fathers - White Sisters magazine, April / May 2004 and A History of St George and St Teresa Dorridge by Beth Mulvey © 2005, R.C. Archdiocese of Birmginham Trustees.

 

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