More thoughts on the late Tom Brodie, former Dominican

Below is a comment sent to this blog in recent days. It is also posted under the obit to Tom Brodie. 

It appears as it could easily be missed and it is worth a read. It is a pity the writer does not give their name. I can imagine a number of Dominicans will know who it is and I believe I too know the writer.

"Like Tom Brodie, I too was born in 1940 agus leis céil ordained July 10, 1966 at Clonliffe College chapel on Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra. I knew him very well as a dedicated and diligent fellow-student and subsequently on the Trinidad mission, where he was energetic and enthusiastic in unfurling the riches of Sacred Scripture for his students at the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. 

“That he was summarily dismissed from the Order by 'a committee of experts' has me thinking; they (the committee) may have taken Ronald Knox's 'Enthusiasm' a little too much to heart. 

"I remember Knox's book and his characterisation of heresy as ‘enthusiasm' from the time it was read aloud in the Tallaght Priory refectory during meals in the 1960s - as was the practice then. 

"I value the previous comment by Mary D Hudson: 'Then I lost track of him. I’m so grateful to learn his last years were not spent alone.' 

"At the time of Tom's dismissal, I was visiting in the Limerick-Galway area and hoping to touch base with him but was unable to find where he was staying. I too lost track of him. At times like this I miss fr Jordan O'Brien's Far & Near newsletters of long ago. 

"Thank you, Michael, for keeping the diaspora in the loop on Irish Dominican happenings and much more. Beannachtaí Ná Cásca ort."