We announce the sad news of the death of Fr Stuart Andrew Gullan-Steel. Fr Stuart died peacefully on Friday 29th December at Nazareth House, Hammersmith where he had been living since May 2022. He was receiving end of life care.
Fr Stuart was born on 1st May 1943 and ordained to the priesthood on 28th June 1980 by Bishop James O’Brien at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George, Enfield.
Sympathy is extended to Fr Stuart’s family and friends, including those in the USA, and to the clergy and parishioners of the parishes where Fr Stuart served.
Fr Stuart’s Funeral Mass will be on Thursday 25th January at 11.30am in the chapel at Nazareth House, 169-175 Hammersmith Road, London W6 8DB. The Cardinal will preside and Fr John Cullen, Chaplain at Nazareth House, will give the homily. The Funeral Mass will be followed by cremation at West London Crematorium.
Obituary
It was with reluctance that, at the age of seventy-five, Fr Stuart Andrew Gullan-Steel returned to London from America, where he had spent fifteen years in pastoral ministry, so that his health needs could be provided for. Those who met him at Heathrow Airport in 2018 were pleased to welcome him back, but it was evident that he would have preferred to remain in America.
The presbytery at Marychurch, Hatfield, no longer accommodating the priests of the parish, was being adapted for his use. A temporary home was graciously provided by the Benedictine community at Ealing. Fr Stuart welcomed this having been a boy at St Benedict’s School. He moved to Hatfield but was unable to assist in the parish due to mobility issues and shortness of breath. This was distressing for him.
Poor mobility and fear of falling meant that from May 2018 Fr Stuart no longer felt able to celebrate public Mass. A stairlift was installed in the presbytery, and other adaptations made, to meet his needs.
In March 2019 Fr Stuart’s thoughts about his own mortality prompted him to make known the scripture readings and hymns for his Funeral Mass. In his letter he wrote ‘Please do not think I am depressed. Rather think of it as my planning the adventure of a lifetime or, rather, of eternity!’
While not depressed, he was unhappy and decided to seek alternative accommodation. Various options were considered but he was hindered due to the ongoing pandemic.
In January 2021 he moved to a care home called Montana near Bury St Edmund’s but the level of care he needed could not be provided. After some time in the local hospital he realized the time had come to return to the diocese.
He went to live at Nazareth House in Hammersmith, arriving by private ambulance in May 2022. It had been a difficult time for Fr Stuart, as it was for everyone, due to the pandemic and the continuing restrictions necessary to keep people safe.
Fr Stuart felt safe and secure and found contentment being back in the diocese. He received exemplary care from the Sisters, staff and the resident Chaplain, Fr John Cullen.
By May 2023 Fr Stuart had become bed-bound, but he remained peaceful and grateful, always trusting in the Lord and those who were caring for him. He was delighted to receive a letter from Cardinal Vincent, congratulating him on his 80th birthday on 1st May 2023 and he proudly showed it to visitors to his room.
Stuart Gullan-Steel was born on 1st May 1943 and grew up in west London. He was baptised at St Anselm’s, Southall and educated at St Benedict’s School in Ealing from 1950 to 1956. He was confirmed at Ealing Abbey at the age of eight. He studied accountancy at Isleworth Polytechnic from 1958 to 1962.
He took a job at Coty, a cosmetics company, working for over ten years in the finance department, becoming an internal auditor. In the 1960s Stuart served on the parish council at Brentford and the lay council of Ealing Deanery. At the age of 30 he applied to the diocese for acceptance as a student for the priesthood.
As a seminarian at Allen Hall in Ware, Hertfordshire and then in Chelsea, Stuart was quiet, polite and studious. He was older than most seminarians and had an air of sophistication. He was one of the small number who were sent to Heythrop College to study for a degree in theology.
He was the only student to have a coffee percolator, and a cocktail cabinet, in his room! For relaxation he listened to classical music and enjoyed cooking and reading. He developed an enduring love for spirituality and theology.
Towards the end of the seminary course Stuart asked for permission to take time out. He left the seminary to live in a shared flat in Neasden while continuing studies for his degree. This gave him time and opportunity to make a firm decision concerning his call to priesthood.
The call was affirmed and Stuart completed the requirements for ordination while living in the presbytery at Enfield, a busy parish led by Canon Bert Veal. He was ordained to the diaconate in July 1979 and sent to Our Lady of Lourdes, Acton, another busy parish with Fr Hugh Bishop as Parish Priest.
Fr Stuart was ordained to the priesthood back in Enfield on 28th June 1980 by Bishop James O’Brien, his former seminary Rector. His first appointment as a priest was to Kingsbury Green, serving there from 1980 to 1983.
While at Kingsbury he frequently visited the parish primary school and was involved with the chaplaincy at Harrow School. His gold-coloured Mercedes was a familiar sight on local roads and was often used to bring visitors to family and friends in Colindale and Edgware hospitals.
St Mary’s, Cadogan Street in Chelsea was Fr Stuart’s next appointment as Assistant Priest from 1983 to 1987. Senior parishioners recall his sartorial excellence, both on and off the altar, and his ease with ‘the Chelsea set’.
In 1987 Fr Stuart left Chelsea to take up his appointment as Parochial Administrator of St Matthias church in Broadfields, a Chapel of Ease of St Anthony’s, Edgware. He was a member of the chaplaincy team caring for patients at Edgware Hospital and he also served as Ecumenical Officer for north London.
While at Broadfields Fr Stuart oversaw the rebuilding of the presbytery, a purpose-built home for him and for his elderly mother, a widow since May 1990. The presbytery relocated from Hartland Drive to Broadfields Avenue.
Caring for the parishioners and for his mother was Fr Stuart’s priority. He withdrew from other forms of ministry. In July 2001, at the age of 90, his mother died. In a letter dated February 1997 Fr Stuart had written, ‘I have always said that I owed my faith to my Mother’. He was always grateful for the gift of faith and his love for, and devotion to, his mother was testament to that.
After fifteen years as Parochial Administrator at Broadfields the time had come for a change. Mgr Canon Bert Haines succeeded Fr Stuart in the summer of 2002, moving there from Wenlock Gardens in Hendon. He had looked after the parish for a month at the beginning of the year while Fr Stuart was on retreat.
Fr Stuart’s sister, Sonia, and her family lived in Massachusetts. She had developed Parkinson’s disease. Fr Stuart wanted to be close to her. The family in America were grateful for Fr Stuart’s kindness and care.
He was given permission for a sabbatical in Berkeley, California from August 2002 to May 2003. He wanted to deepen his spiritual life and learn new pastoral skills. Pastoral strategies and planning caught his imagination and he enjoyed speculation about how church life could be organised to motivate and involve more parishioners.
While at Berkeley, and throughout his life as a priest, Fr Stuart always remained faithful to the Divine Office, the prayer of the Church, and the celebration of Mass prayerfully and with reverence.
Fr Stuart returned to the UK in July 2003. Then, in September, he went back to America for ministry in a parish in New York. He did so with the permission of the diocese. He had hoped to serve in the Archdiocese of Boston to be near to his sister, now 70 years of age. However, this did not happen and Fr Stuart was accepted to serve initially in the Diocese of Syracuse and then in the Diocese of Albany, New York.
By October 2005 he was appointed Parochial Administrator of St Patrick’s parish in Ravena. In January 2006 Fr Stuart returned to the UK for a week to coincide with his uncle’s 80th birthday. He took the opportunity to visit Archbishop’s House. When back in America regular emails were sent to Archbishop’s House, Westminster with news of his activities.
By 2007, when Fr Stuart requested a five year extension, his sister’s Parkinson’s had progressed and he wanted to remain close to her. He also wanted to assist with pastoral renewal being undertaken in the parish.
Fr Stuart returned to provide cover in Radlett, returning on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship which stopped off in Harwich! But he was keen to return to America; it had become his home. In July 2011 he wrote about his time in America and about his bonding with members of his family there and seemed to have regretted returning to England. He returned to America to resume ministry in St Martha’s parish, Sarasota in the Diocese of Venice, Florida.
In December 2013, while temporarily covering for a sick priest at St Agnes’ church in Naples, Florida with 4,500 registered families in the parish he commented that the weekly collection was more than the annual collection in Broadfields parish! However, he acknowledged that there was a greater sense of community and connection in Broadfields.
He was appointed to San Antonio parish, Port Charlotte in Florida as Parochial Administrator with 1,200 families. Here he was able to enjoy the swimming pool in the grounds of the large rectory, but the large debt needed to be reduced and he was prepared to work on this, drawing on the accountancy skills developed during his working life.
Many people will treasure fond memories of Fr Stuart’s air of self-confidence, his elegance and flair. He had a keen eye for fashion and was always well turned-out. He made no secret that a certain department store in Knightsbridge was his favourite shopping destination, and his favourite wine was a particular red from Burgundy. He was urbane, but could become irritated when people or situations did not accord with his ideas and preferences. To those who were unwell or alone he was kind and empathetic and particularly attentive to patients in hospital. Fr Stuart enjoyed the company of young, committed Catholics and was energised when among them.
Nazareth House was able to provide Fr Stuart with end of life care. He was called to heaven on 29th December 2023. He died as he had been living, peacefully and with a longing to be with God and to be reunited with his mother, father, sister, relatives and friends.
We pray for the repose of Fr Stuart’s soul:
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 Stuart.
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.
From Psalm 26:
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
May the soul of Fr Stuart rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.
