We share the sad news of the death, on 15th April, of Fr John Raphael Alan Francis Lightfoot-Seabrook. Fr John Seabrook, as he was known, died peacefully at Hammersmith Hospital following recent admission to the hospital he had been attending regularly over the past few months. While in hospital he received the Sacrament of the Sick. Although unwell, he remained as Parish Priest at St Joseph’s, Grove Park.
Fr John was born in Beckenham, Kent on 5th August 1947 and baptized at the age of 21 at St Monica’s, Hoxton and ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Westminster at St Monica’s, Hoxton by Cardinal Basil Hume on 4th August 1976.
Sympathy is extended to Fr John’s family and friends, and to the clergy and parishioners of his former parishes in the diocese and to those who remember him from his years of chaplaincy with the RAF.
Fr John was a member of the Deceased Clergy Association. Funeral arrangements will be made in accordance with the protocols necessary due to the coronavirus pandemic.
We pray for the repose of Fr John’s soul:
John Seabrook was born in Beckenham, Kent on 5th August 1947. His parents, Albert and Vera, were not Catholic. John was drawn to the Catholic Church and he was baptised as a Catholic on 25th October 1968 at St Monica’s Priory Church, served by the Augustinians, Hoxton. He was then confirmed by Bishop Patrick Casey at Westminster Cathedral on 17th November 1968, taking the names Raphael Alan. The initials of his middle names were now RAF. This was to have significance! He was educated at Shoreditch Comprehensive School and achieved six O and two A levels. When he left school John worked for a bank, from 1966 to 1968 and then for three years in an Estate Duty Office as an Assistant Examiner. Even before acceptance as a student for the priesthood John displayed various affectations, including wearing a black choir cloak in the street and being mistaken for a cleric. He began formation for the priesthood at the age of 26. His report while a seminarian at St Edmund’s College, Ware at the end of his first year, 1971-72, states that John ‘was a welcome addition to the community despite, or perhaps because of, harmless eccentricities’. He studied at St Edmund’s College and at Heythrop College, gaining the award Bachelor of Divinity in 1975.
In April 1976 the rector of Allen Hall Seminary, Mgr (later Bishop) James O’Brien, wrote to the Parish Priest where John was serving as a deacon as part of his formation for ordination to the priesthood ‘…there does not seem to have been much change or improvement over the last few years…He is a complicated character, but I think there is much good in him…Sometimes it is remarkable what an effect the demands of parish life have upon the new priest. I am hopeful that John will see the comparative irrelevance of so much he regards as important when he is confronted with the reality of life lived by his future parishioners.’ Two years earlier the rector wrote to a psychologist seeking advice on ways to assist John’s formation It was acknowledged that John had many extremely good qualities. He was conscientious and industrious, cheerful and considerate, but there was concern about his distinct eccentricities which some found amusing but which others found irritating and perplexing. The concerns expressed were shared with John and he resolved to integrate his colourful personality with the requirements of clerical life. He went on to endear himself to parishioners and to other clergy who learnt not to take Fr John too seriously or permit him to take himself too seriously!
Following his ordination to the priesthood at St Mary’s Priory Church, Hoxton on 4th August 1976 by Cardinal Basil Hume Fr John’s first appointment was Assistant Priest at Willesden, from 1976 to 79. He was then appointed Assistant Priest at Moorfields. Fr John’s stay there was brief. From 1979 to 1982 he served as the Assistant Priest at North Finchley. During this time he attended an extra-mural course on psychology given by the Workers Education Association and London University. It was Fr John’s desire to serve as a Chaplain in the RAF, the Royal Air Force. When requesting permission to apply he gave the assurance that it was not intended to be a flight from parochial ministry, but a new experience of ministry. Permission was given. In correspondence with the Diocese he expressed surprise that he passed the medical examination as part of the selection process! He resolved to lose some weight. He served in various locations from 1982 to 1991. In 1991 he was appointed Parish Priest at Isleworth where he remained until 1994. He then went to Welwyn Garden City, Digswell as Parish Priest until 1999 when he was appointed to Grove Park. This was to be his last appointment.
From the summer of 2019 Fr John’s health began to significantly deteriorate and regular treatment at Hammersmith Hospital was needed. He received much support from dedicated parishioners at Grove Park. As time progressed it was evident that he could no longer attend to the needs of the parish and administrative oversight was entrusted to the Parish Priest of Chiswick. Fr John remained as Parish Priest but with the liturgical, sacramental and pastoral needs of the parish being met in alternative ways.
Throughout his 44 years of priestly ministry Fr John was a natural communicator, especially by handwritten letters to successive Vicars General, Bishops and Cardinals. He often gave three sermons at Mass, one for each scripture reading. Thankfully he did not include exegesis of the psalm! Fr John’s interests included poetry, especially that by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ, art, church history and the lives of the saints, theology and canon law. Those who attended the biannual meetings of the Council of Priests will recall Fr John’s ubiquitous well-thumbed copy of the Code of Canon Law and his readiness to ensure the conversation and business of the meetings remained canonically correct.
Fr John died peacefully at Hammersmith Hospital on 15th April.
Fr John’s graveside funeral took place on 7th May at Chiswick New Cemetery with Bishop Nicholas Hudson presiding.
