Parish History
PART 11: Vocations from the Parish
>>Also see Parish PriestsConsidering its sparse population our parish has done well in the number of candidates it has provided for the priesthood and the religious life.
Father Charles Brodie T.D. was born in North Berwick, educated at the High School and studied for the priesthood at Osterley. He was ordained in St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, on 25th July, 1946. The following day he said his first Mass in our church and celebrated his first public Mass at 11.00 a.m. the next Sunday. On 3rd August a Social was held in his honour in St. Baldred's Hall at which he received a gift from the parishioners. Father Brodie began his priestly life as curate to Canon John Gray in St Andrews. He was parish priest of Our Lady and St Andrew, Galashiels, St John Vianney's, Edinburgh and latterly fauldhouse. When he died in march 1999 Canon Brodie was mourned by his family and many people here and elsewhere who held him in deep affection. He bequeathed his chalice to our parish.
Father John Hamilton Dalrymple S.T.L., Ph.L., son of the late Sir Hew and Lady Hamilton Dalrymple, was ordained in Rome on 11th July, 1954. He celebrated Mass for the first time here on 5th September, 1954, and the following Sunday he was honoured at a parish function, again held in St. Baldred's Hall. Father Dalrymple lectured at Drygrange from 1955-57, then served as curate at St. Mary's Cathedral until 1960, during which time he founded Martin House as a refuge for homeless mothers and children. He returned to Drygrange in 1960 as Spiritual Director, a post he held until 1970 when he moved to the University of St. Andrews as Chaplain to the Catholic Students. In 1975 Father Dalrymple became parish priest at St. Ninian's, Edinburgh. Father Jock encouraged parishioners to join in helping the poor and kept open house for the homeless. He wrote articles and books, which are still read by many seeking light and inspiration.
Father Thomas Hennessy of Aberlady was among the first group of students educated at Drygrange. He was born in Plymouth in 1934 but left there with his family in 1941 because of the Blitz. He was educated in Edinburgh and then spent six years at Blairs College, where the Rector was Father Gordon Gray. Thomas Hennessy was ordained in St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, on 14th March, 1959, and the next day said his first Mass in our church. His presentation (postponed due to the death of Sir Hew Hamilton Dalrymple) took place on 17th March following a recital by the great John McCormack ... on records! Father Hennessy served as parish priest at St Joseph's, Kelty, St Anthony's, Armadale and, since 1990, at St Mary Magdalene's, Portobello. In Fife he spent five years as a Scout chaplain and then seven years as chaplain to Royal Scots army cadets in West Lothian.
Father James Henry S.T.L.,Ph.L, was born in 1946 at Prora, Drem, the younger son of Mr and Mrs George Henry and spent his boyhood in this parish. After leaving Holy Cross Academy he went to the Scots College in Rome and was one of the first students to have completed the seven-year course entirely at the College on the Via Cassia. Father Henry was ordained in his home parish, Our Lady, Mother of the Church, Currie, in December, 1970. His first appointment was as curate at St. Mark's, Oxgangs. He went on to lecture at Blairs College and later at Drygrange where he became Rector in 1984. He was then Rector of Gillis College when the seminary moved there in 1986. His all-too-early accidental death occurred in October 1987.
Father Austin Gaskell OP was born in Gullane in 1921. His father, a regular in the Argylls, had survived the Great War then been posted to Fenton Barns where there was a hutted camp for training in anti-gas precautions, known as 'the Gas School'. Baptised John in St Adrian's Episcopal Church, Gullane, he spent several happy years in North Berwick and Gullane before the family moved to Glasgow. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and was received into full communion with the Catholic Church at St John's, Greenock, in 1942.
He graduated M.A. and M.Ed from Glasgow University and was a teacher before entering the Dominican Order in 1956. He took the religious name Austin and was ordained in 1952. His varied career included stints as chaplain to students at Edinburgh and York Universities - and providing holiday cover for Father Donoghue and Father Rafferty. He became parish priest at St Mary's, Beauly in 1994.
The ordination of a second Father Jock Dalrymple was a matter of great pride and pleasure in the parish. Father Jock's first posting was as curate at Our Lady of Loretto and St Michael, Musselburgh and he later was the very busy parish priest of the joint charge of St Paul's, Glenrothes, and St Mary, Mother of God, at Leslie in Fife. He is currently at St John Vianney's, Gilmerton. He was a contributor and co-author of a volume of essays celebrating the life of the leading spiritual writer, Father Michael Hollings, and has also written a biography of Jack Dominian, the psychiatrist and noted writer on marriage.
Ladies of the parish were trail-blazers in the service of the Church. In 1911 Mother Mary St. Hugh, daughter of Sir Walter Hamilton Dalrymple, entered the Order of the Holy Childhood and on 26th April, 1961, she celebrated her Golden Jubilee.
In January 1939 Sister Julia Farie made her Final Profession as a Benedictine nun. Sister Julia was the daughter of a sea captain and grand-daughter of Col. and Mrs Farie, who brought her up after her mother died. Sister Julia entered the Order at a very early age, when it was very strictly enclosed, but this rule has been relaxed in recent times, allowing Sister Julia to leave the monastery and, happily, to re-visit North Berwick.
Mother Maria Valerio, who entered the religious life in 1939, was educated at North Berwick High School, graduated M.A. from the University of Edinburgh, and did post-graduate teacher training at Craiglockhart College. Mother Valerio entered the Sacred Heart Order, which ran the College, on July 16th, 1939, and spent many years on its staff.
While on the subject of vocations, it is well to remember those lay members of the parish who have dedicated their lives to continual service of the church - priests' housekeepers. The Census of 1891 states that Father Mackenzie's housekeeper was Miss Margaret Murphy from Glasgow. Parish accounts show she bought half-loaves at three pence farthing, milk at a penny a pint and meal and barley at one shilling a stone. When Father Duthie was in charge, his personal circumstances may have made for a more affluent lifestyle because he and his sister had two housekeepers.
One of our parishioners, Miss Nellie Flynn of Dirleton spent several years cheerfully acting as housekeeper to Father Gray.
For many years before he moved to North Berwick Canon Ward was lucky to have as his housekeeper Miss Minnie Larkin, who came here with him and stayed on after his death to keep house for Father Rafferty. One of the proudest events of her life was when her retirement at the age of 72 was marked by the presentation of the Diocesan Medal by Archbishop O'Brien. Minnie died in 1993 at the age of 92.
These "backroom girls" have been invaluable assets to the parish, not only by looking after the priest and the presbytery but by spending many a long hour on call to answer the door or the telephone.