I have been reading with awe the first of The Tablet's 50 Great Catholics (The Tablet, January 2015) and wondering who else might have been chosen. Of those who made a great impact on my Christian faith, two great Catholics stand out and I had the good fortune of living close to them and witnessing their living faith at very close hand.
Fr William King, in his article "Messengers of a Brave New World" (The Tablet, 14 March) mentions Fr Michael Hollings as a particular hero of early 1970's Dublin clergy. In 1972/73, as a post-graduate sociology researcher, I lived in Southall's open door presbytery, studying the impact of Vatican II on Michael Hollings' West London parish. There I saw and experienced living priesthood in dynamic daily action. So much of what I witnessed then is what I now associate with Pope Francis and in particular his ministry on the streets of Buenos Aires.
I was living in the presbytery at the time in 1973 when Fr Michael led a retreat for Dublin clergy and on his return I remember the glint in his eye when he recalled the outset of the retreat when he made clear to participants that on the instruction of Archbishop McQuaid he would not be mentioning either open presbytery or ecumenism and that they would have to read about that for themselves.
Before Southall I lived for a year in London University Chaplaincy and experienced at first hand the work of another great Catholic, Bruce Kent, my university chaplain. There I witnessed his massive and growing passion as a Christian activist for peace and justice through Pax Christi, War on Want and CND.
I can understand why Fr King mistakenly refers to Fr Hollings as being a Jesuit. Michael and Bruce were both Westminster diocesan priests and both frequently acknowledged with some pride their Jesuit schooling. Strangely, perhaps, Southall today is a dynamic Jesuit parish.
Alan Whelan, Beaufort, Co Kerry, Ireland
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