With sadness we announce the death, on 23rd January, of Fr Bernard McCumiskey. Fr Bernard died at Redesdale Court Care Home in North Shields close to where he had been living in retirement in Whitley Bay until his needs required more care. Fr Bernard was born in Northumberland on 9th August 1938 and ordained to the priesthood as a Carmelite at Aylesford Priory, Kent by Archbishop Cyril Cowderoy on 18th July 1971. He was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Westminster in 1977.
Sympathy is extended to Fr Bernard’s family and friends, to those with whom he lived in retirement and the clergy, religious and parishioners of his former parishes in the Diocese of Westminster and beyond.
Bishop John Sherrington will preside at the Funeral Mass for Fr Bernard at St Mary's church, Farringdon Road, Cullercoats, North Shields NE30 3EY on Friday 12th February at 10am. The homily will be given by Fr Voytek Przyjalkowski. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed at http://www.dejavuvideo.co.uk/stmarys/ Burial will follow at Whitley Bay Cemetery.
The arrangements are made in accordance with protocols necessary due to the coronavirus pandemic, with numbers attending limited to 30 invited people. With regret there can be no invitation to concelebrate. It is hoped that the Funeral Mass will be live streamed and information about this will be available on request nearer to the date.
We pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Bernard:
Lord Jesus, our Redeemer,
you willingly gave yourself up to death so that all people might be saved and pass from death into a new life.
Listen to our prayers, look with love on your people who mourn and pray for Fr Bernard.
Lord Jesus, holy and compassionate, forgive his sins.
By dying you opened the gates of life for those who believe in you.
Do not let our brother be parted from you, but by your glorious power give him light, joy and peace in heaven
where you live for ever and ever.
May the soul of this faithful servant of the Lord rest in peace. Amen.
Obituary
Fr Bernard came to the Diocese of Westminster and made London his home. He was born and brought up in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear (formerly Northumberland). At the age of 82 he died on 23rd January. His first appointment as a Parish Priest was to the parish of St Scholastica, Clapton. Fr Kidane Lebasi also came to the Diocese of Westminster and made London his home. He was born and brought up in Imbaderho, Eritrea. At the age of 74 he died on 31st January. Fr Bernard inherited Fr Lebasi, who ministered among mainly refugees from Eritrea, as a resident in his new home in Clapton, and they became good friends, perhaps because they had much in common. Both had been ordained as members of religious orders, Fr Bernard a Carmelite, Fr Kidane a Cistercian; both made London their home and were to be incardinated as Westminster priests; both were dedicated to the service of the Lord and the people of God and, above all, both shared in the ministry of priesthood to which they were called by the Lord. Fr Bernard’s priestly ministry was marked by openness to others, kindness and generosity.
Throughout his ministry, and into retirement, Fr Bernard always sent his personal card with correspondence, giving his title, name, address and telephone numbers, and his post-nominal letters: Fr Bernard McCumiskey MA, BSc, STL, JCL, Dip.Pastr.Th., MBPsS. It is sometimes asked, ‘What is more important, qualifications or experience?’ Fr Bernard had both. He was born on 9th August 1938, one of three sons born to Elizabeth and Arthur McCumiskey. He went to St Mary’s College, Aberystwyth to study for the priesthood before going to the Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy and the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. Bernard was ordained to the priesthood as a Carmelite on 18th July 1971 at Aylesford Priory, Kent by Archbishop Cyril Cowderoy. A few years after ordination Fr Bernard did further studies at Heythrop College, part of London University. A few years later his academic prowess took him to St Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada for postgraduate study and research in canon law. Fr Bernard, gifted with a pastoral heart and a fine mind, also undertook part-time studies at Goldsmith’s College, London University. He achieved academic success in theology, canon law and psychology to equip him for service of the Church.
Following his ordination Fr Bernard McCumiskey, OCarm was appointed to serve as Assistant Priest in Aberystwyth until 1975. He was then appointed Assistant Priest in Sittingbourne, Kent. In 1976 he began work with the Westminster Marriage Tribunal, involved with the administration of the Tribunal and with marriages that had experienced difficulties. He was in residence at the presbytery of Holloway parish and travelled to the Tribunal offices in Marylebone. He was incardinated as a priest of Westminster Diocese in May 1977. He moved from Holloway to the presbytery in Shepherds Bush in 1983. In 1985 he began to work part-time with Marriage Care, helping couples whose relationships needed support and helping to train marriage counsellors.
After seven years full-time and two years part-time at the Marriage Tribunal Fr Bernard believed it was time to move on. When requesting appointment as a Parish Priest he wrote to the Vicar General in October 1984, ‘…after careful consideration and prayer I would like to be considered for a parish of my own in the summer appointments of 1985 mainly because I believe a priest’s vocation is essentially that of drawing people closer to God, not only by helping individuals on a personal basis, but by positively helping to shape a community, and involving lay people as much as is possible in the life of the local church together with its attempts to be an influence in society. I appreciate, too, that a priest himself learns and is enriched by the community…’ Fr Bernard was appointed Parish Priest at Clapton in 1985 where he served until moving to Kingsland as Parish Priest in 1990. After ten years at Kingsland, during which he served as Dean of Hackney, he was appointed Parish Priest at North Finchley where he remained from September 2000 until his retirement in November 2013 when he returned to live in Whitley Bay at the age of 75.
Fr Bernard will be remembered for his kindness and compassion. His education and experience made him a gifted pastor who was an attentive listener without judgment or prejudice. He combined intelligence, warmth and a deep faith in ways that made him an effective minister in the various ways he exercised priesthood. He took care of people and he took care of the buildings – churches, halls and presbyteries – for which he was responsible. For leisure, Fr Bernard enjoyed opera,
theatre and musicals. He was blessed with a powerful voice and led singing in church. Many will never forget his renditions of Ave Maria and Panis Angelicus! He had a keen interest in history, especially the Second World War, and he enjoyed travel in the UK and to sunny locations overseas. He had a love of his native Northumberland, especially the coastal areas. Fr Bernard was congenial in the company of others, always a good conversationalist with a ready sense of humour and a hearty laugh.
In the sacristy at North Finchley Fr Bernard displayed a poster: ‘The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you and give you his peace’. For many, including family, friends and parishioners, ‘the Lord’ could be replaced with ‘Fr Bernard’. His natural modesty would not want this, but it is a fitting tribute. Fr Bernard died in a care home in North Shields where his needs were being met, having moved there from his modest house in Whitley Bay, provided by the Diocese of Westminster, four weeks previously.
We pray that he, and Fr Kidane with whom he shared the presbytery in Clapton, may share the fullness of life in the heavenly home they knew to be their destiny.
May the soul of Fr Bernard rest in peace.
