Isn't it perfect, reverent, funny and says so much. A lovely honesty and openness about it. Real too.
It's posted by Augustinian priest Dick Lyng.
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I knew Brian well from our shared time in Galway. He was PP in the Claddagh when I occupied that role in St Augustine’s.
All you have written about him is true. He was the ‘people-person’ par excellence. He had great powers of recall and he matched names to faces with great ease. I guess he visited every house in the Claddagh parish while stationed there. And he could be found at the funeral of any person even remotely connected with the Claddagh.
His powerful memory always amazed me. But he could make the odd ‘slip of the mind’ or tongue. I vividly recall one such slip.
I was concelebrating at a funeral Mass Brian was celebrating for a parishioner of the Claddagh. When it came to the Memorial part of Eucharistic Prayer III, I was somewhat taken aback by the subject of Brian’s prayer: “Remember Dick Lyng; in baptism he died with Christ; may he also share his resurrection when Christ will raise our mortal bodies and make them like his own in glory.”
Then, pointing to the missal, he invited me to complete the prayer. I was glad to be in a position to do so!
By the time we returned to the sacristy, someone had obviously pointed out his error to him. He apologised profusely to me. We often laughed about it late and, I suspect, we both dine out on it a few times. (At least I did).
You are right. Brian was a lovely man with a passionate interest in people.
I am so sorry to hear he has died. May he rest in peace.
Dick Lyng, OSA
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