Tag: Priesthood

“Father Roy McGinn, Seventy Years a Priest”, Homily of Msgr. Foy, October 5, 2008

Father Roy McGinn, 70 Years a Priest

Homily of Msgr. Vincent Foy,  Sunday October 5, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we are celebrating the Priesthood and the seventy years of Priesthood of Father Roy McGinn.

The Priesthood is a vast subject.  Thousands of books have been written about it.  Thousands of sermons have been preached about it.  It is concisely treated in the Decree on the Life and Ministry of the Priest of Vatican II called Presbyterorum Ordinis of December 7, 1965.

It treats of: the Nature of the Priesthood, the Function of Priests as Ministers of God’s Word, as Ministers of the Sacraments and the Eucharist, of their Brotherly Bond and Co-operation among Priests, of the Relation of Priests with lay People, of the Priests Call to Holiness, especially Humility and Obedience, and much more.

We see how vast and deep is the subject of the Priesthood.

Now we take only a glancing look at the Priesthood.  Even that brief glance shows us how great and essential is the Priesthood in God’s plan of salvation.

The Chalice of Joy and Consolation

A common symbol of the Priesthood is the Chalice – the Chalice and the Priesthood are intimately intertwined.

First, the Chalice of Joy and Consolation.  Every priest drinks deeply of this chalice.

There is the joy of one’s vocation.  It is the realization of a dream, often going back to childhood.  There is the joy of caring for the sick and the dying, of bringing back to God prodigal sons and daughters, and of the fellowship of other priests and friends.

On the Sunday after my ordination in 1939, I visited the Lithuanian Church in Toronto at the pastor’s request.  Fasting even from water from midnight, I sung the 11 a.m. High Mass, preached the homily, gave Holy Communion to the First Holy Communion class, enrolled them in the Scapular and gave Benediction.  On the streetcar, coming home, still fasting, I was asked by a passenger: “Don’t you find it a hard task working for the Lord these days?” “Not really,” I replied.  In fact, I was filled with joy at my priestly experience.  All through the priesthood, one drinks of the chalice of joy and consolation.

The Chalice of Sorrow and Suffering

There is also the chalice of sorrow and suffering.

I think every priest has his own little Garden of Gethsemane, when he says, as did Christ “Father, if it be possible, let this Chalice pass from me.”  Some suffering is common to all, like sickness and infirmity and the weakness of age.  Some is more specific to the priesthood, like difficult appointments, difficulties with some priestly duties, or difficult parishioners and demands.

In all of these sufferings in his little Gethsemane, the priest is called to say “Thy Will be done.”  He knows that he must follow Christ to Calvary and he knows that every lesson worth learning can be learned at the foot of the cross.

The Chalice of Salvation

Besides the chalice of joy and the chalice of suffering and sorrow, the priest offers up the Chalice of Salvation.

The evening before He died, Christ changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood and said to the Apostles, “Do this in memory of me.”  Three days later, on the night of His resurrection, He said to the Apostles, “Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, whose sins you shall retain they are retained.”

So the priesthood makes Christ present with all His salvific power throughout the world and every day.  At his recent Mass in Paris, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Raise the Cup of Salvation!”  The context of this talk was his plea for more vocations to the priesthood.

The power to consecrate the Body of Christ and the power to forgive sins are the greatest powers ever bestowed upon man.

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that, because of his great dignity, the priest has a special obligation to be holy, even beyond that required for the religious state.

But always, in offering up the Chalice of Salvation, the priest remembers that he is a priest, not primarily for himself, but for others, to lead others to God and Eternal Life.

The Priesthood of Fr. Roy McGinn

Today we celebrate the seventy years of priesthood of our companion Fr. Roy McGinn.  In those seventy years, he drank deeply of the chalice of joy and suffering and salvation.  He was born on the Feast of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, September 16, 1915, in St. Monica’s parish, Toronto.

He spent his High School years in Our Lady of Lourdes parish, when the pastor was the great priest-poet Msgr. Dollard.  He was never much at athletics because of poor sight but he was remembered for his brightness and cheerfulness.

In September of 1927, he entered De La Salle High School, Bond St., Toronto.  If you look at the High School magazine, the Delescope for the years of 1927-1931, you will see that he was at the top or near the top of the class.

From Bond St. De La Salle he went to De La Salle Moore Park and graduated in 1931.

In the fall of 1931, he joyfully entered St. Augustine’s Seminary, under Archbishop Neil McNeil.  There were then over one hundred and ninety seminarians.  Every room was occupied.  When he completed his six years of philosophy and theology he was only 22.  The age for ordination was 24.  He was assigned to live at St. Michael’s Cathedral rectory where he helped in the chancery office as notary in marriage cases.  His great day of ordination came on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 15th, 1938, when he was ordained a priest at St. Augustine’s Seminary, by Archbishop James Charles McGuigan.

Here are some of his appointments: St. Michael’s Cathedral, Blessed Sacrament parish, Toronto, St. Lawrence Church, Scarborough, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Toronto, and the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Japan at Bradford.

His appointment to Bradford is typical of his priestly zeal and joy and dedication, though he was constantly afraid of going blind.  At Bradford in the forties and fifties of the last century he built a new church and rectory.  He also built a Catholic school and brought to Bradford a congregation of Sisters to teach there.  To them, he gave the old rectory, a fine large house with a little tower.

In the parish, over twenty languages were spoken and at Christmas and Easter, Fr. McGinn arranged for about seven priests to hear confessions, each speaking at least two languages. The rectory was always an open house to his fellow priests.  One could always be sure of a cheery welcome.

In his later years, he was pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, the Gore.  It was a centre for neighbouring priests who often met there Friday evenings.  I was among those who often gathered there for a social visit.

Finally, suffering from the ravages of age, he retired to St. Joseph’s Manor on Leslie St., Toronto, where I often visited him.  Then to Providence Villa and then to the good care of La Salle Manor about thirteen years ago, where, bearing the cross of near total paralysis, he awaits God’s Call.

We celebrate today the priesthood of a truly dedicated priest.  He drank deeply of the Chalice of the priesthood.  His monument is the countless souls whom he helped on their way to God.

May we benefit from his example and rejoice in his service to God and Church and souls. Amen.

“Monsignor Vincent Foy’s Life Devoted to the Church”, December 2002, Shepherds’ Trust Newsletter

The following is an interview by  “Shepherds’ Trust Newsletter” (a publication of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and which is dedicated to supporting the needs of retired clergy) with Monsignor Foy and which appeared in the Winter, 2002 edition.

Scan_20140324The bank of file cabinets along one living room wall and the large, paper-strewn desk opposite tell the visitor that Monsignor Foy is active in retirement.

“I keep busy with my research and my writing,” he says. “For example I’ve had a number of articles published on causes I believe deeply in, especially the Pro-Life movement. I’m also a member of the Board of the Call to Holiness Canada movement.”

“In order of ordination, I am now third in the archdiocese,” he says. “I was ordained in 1939. The discipline in the Seminary then was strict. One could be expelled for having a newspaper in one’s room, for allowing another seminarian to enter one’s room, or for having an alcoholic beverage, even while on vacation. Discipline in recent years has gone to the other extreme. Perhaps that is one reason why vocations are down so drastically. We all need a sense of order and a willingness to deny ourselves.”

Monsignor Foy was baptized at St. John’s Parish, in Scarborough. As a child he lived in Holy Name Parish, also in the east end. “Our pastor was a great role-model, ” he says “There were always thirty or forty altar boys, and we all had to be there for the 11a.m. Mass on Sunday and then in the evening for Benediction. I was about ten when I knew that I wanted to be a priest. Nothing else even occurred to me.”

“I entered St. Augustine’s seminary in 1933 and was ordained in 1939.  I was to study Canon Law in Rome, but the start of World War II complicated things, and I ended up at Laval University in Quebec City. In those days there was no salary or allowance for student priests and so I spent three years in real poverty. I did receive thirty dollars per month for the summers spent working in the Chancery Office. In 1942 I was posted full-time to the Chancery Office, and for some time I lived at Blessed Sacrament rectory before moving to the Cathedral.”

Monsignor Foy spent nearly twenty-five years in marriage tribunal work. He said, “When the Toronto Provincial Tribunal was set up in 1948, I was its only full-time member. Later, I was joined by Father Fulton (now Bishop Fulton) and then Father Courtemanche. Fr. Clune, now Bishop Clune, was a part-time member. We were fortunate in having Margaret Cronin as our first full-time secretary. She could translate evidence into French and at that time all cases going to Rome had to be in French, Italian, Spanish or Latin.”

In 1957 Monsignor was appointed the head of the Archdiocesan and Provincial marriage tribunals and named a Monsignor. He is the last of Monsignors in Toronto Archdiocese created by Pope Pius XII. The adage, “If you want something done, give it to a busy man.” comes to mind with his next words: “During this time, I was also Director of Catechetics for the Archdiocese. It was a part-time assignment but I had the duties of approving texts, setting annual examinations, marking the top papers from the whole Archdiocese, and organizing summer school and the annual Catechetical day in the Cathedral. All of this was on a budget of sixty dollars per month for postage. Any additional expenses were to be paid from the Tribunal budget.”

In 1966 all this changed.  Monsignor Foy was assigned to St. John’s Parish as Pastor. “Imagine coming home as Pastor to the church where you were baptized!” he marvels. Pastorally, it was a difficult time. The quite revolutionary changes following Vatican II were not always welcomed, especially the liturgical changes. Seven and a half years later he was transferred to “one-man parishes” in Bradford and Phelpston for the remainder of his service as a pastor.

Ill health forced an early retirement.  However, he continues pastoral visitations at Providence Villa and other long-term care facilities. His work in support of the Pro-Life movement has been described above, and continues unabated. He has won a number of awards in recognition for his Pro-Life writings.

Three final questions prompt him to reflect a little further. When asked to describe a memorable experience during his priesthood, he thought quietly, and then said, “Always daily Mass remains my most memorable experience. That Rosary hanging there also brings back vivid memories. When I was living in Rome, it was blessed by Pope Paul VI. I was often on papal ceremonies as a Eucharistic minister. When he died I touched this Rosary to his hands just before the coffin was closed. It was then blessed by Pope John Paul I and again touched his hands after his death. It was also blessed by Pope John Paul II. I hope to be buried with it.”

What about The Shepherds’ Trust? “Some of our priests are in need, and for them, The Shepherds’ Trust ensures that they are not neglected. I knew real poverty when I was studying at Laval; compared to that, what the Trust provides is a real bonus!”

What does he hope to be remembered for? That one is easy. “For fidelity,” he says. “Fidelity to the Church and to the teachings of the Church… and trying to live that fidelity. We must stay with Peter. Living the truth means that we are living with Love and in Love. It’s as simple as that.”

Personal Memories: The Seventieth Anniversary of Ordination, June 3, 2009

The Seventieth Anniversary of Ordination, June 3, 2009

By Msgr. Vincent Foy

Introduction

Your Grace, Your Excellencies, Rev. Msgrs., Rev. Fathers, Rev. Brother, Rev. Sisters and dear relatives and friends:

I have waited 70 years for this day.

There have been a few changes in seventy years.

My ordination suit, donated by my Aunt Agnes and Uncle Will, cost $29.95. It was made to order by Tip Top Tailors: there were two pairs of trousers and a vest. My ordination shoes, of fine English leather, given to me by my Aunt Elizabeth, cost $6.00 – no GST.

Down Memory Lane

Permit me to take a brief journey down memory lane. Our 1939 ordination class was the last admitted to St. Augustine’s Seminary, in 1933, under Archbishop Neil McNeil, who died in 1934.

In 1936, we were told that there were too many of us, and that unless some of us volunteered for other dioceses, some of the Toronto seminarians would be asked to leave. We all went, one by one, to the rector’s office and volunteered to go wherever we were sent. Two of us were given to the new diocese of Nelson, BC, and two to Kingston Archdiocese. Three were loaned for three years to Western Canadian dioceses. Two of us were sent away for further studies.

I was almost ordained nearly 71 years ago. In September of 1938, Msgr. Brennan, the seminary rector, called me into his office. He said I would be ordained privately in two weeks. I was to tell no one, except my parents, who were permitted to visit me for a farewell. Archbishop McGuigan was going to take me to Rome, where I was to continue my fourth year of theology with my first year in post-graduate Canon Law. So for two weeks, I worked feverishly to prepare to offer the Latin Mass and packed my trunk and was ready to go.

The night before the date set for my ordination, I knocked on Msgr. Brennan’s door. He invited me to come in and I said “Msgr., I believe I am to be ordained tomorrow.” He looked surprised. “Oh” he said, “I forgot to tell you. It is all off. You can unpack. You are going to be ordained with the rest of the class next June. The Archbishop will take you to Rome next year.” No reason was given. It was years later when I was vice-chancellor and had access to the priests’ files, that I learned the reason. The Apostolic Delegate had refused to grant the necessary dispensation for insufficient age. In Sept of 1938, I had just turned 23.

So, I was ordained on June 3, 1939, one of a class of thirty-four.

The Class of 1939

I would like to pay tribute to the class of 1939, though there was no episcopal timber among us. In Fr. Murray Allen we had the brother of a bishop: Bishop Francis Allen, once pastor of this parish. I used to help him here by hearing children’s confessions.

Seven of our class belonged to the Scarborough Foreign Mission Society and served the Church in China, Japan, the Dominican Republic and other places. One, Fr. Francis Diemert, became the Superior General of the Society.

Fr. Jim Sheridan became head of Classics at St. Michael’s College. Fr. John Bouvier became a professor at St. Augustine’s Seminary.

Three of our number became Chancellors of their Dioceses: Msgr. Flynn in Nelson, BC, Msgr. Hubicz in Winnipeg and Msgr. Welsh in Kingston.

Four of the class of ‘39 served as military Chaplains. Fr, Hank McFadden of Ogdensburg was decorated for bravery in the North African campaign of World War II. Fr. Richard Ward, first chaplain in the Korean War, my closest friend, died a hero’s death trying to rescue nuns when a plane crashed into a convent near Ottawa in 1956.

Most of our class became parish priests. I served in the diocesan and provincial matrimonial tribunal courts for twenty-five years before becoming pastor of my natal parish of St. John’s in 1967 and later pastor of Holy Martyrs of Japan parish in Bradford and St. Patrick’s parish in Phelpston.

I salute all my dear classmates. They have all gone to God. They helped in their way to build up the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Priesthood

Now a word about the Priesthood… I can say with certitude that there was no identity crisis among priests of the class of 1939. We knew we were priests forever and that our model was Christ, the great high Priest. There were no dissenters. We knew that the teaching of the Church is the teaching of Christ. We knew the importance of devotion to Mary. Our class motto was “Nihil nobis nisi per Mariam” — “Nothing comes to us except through Mary”.

When I left the Matrimonial Tribunal in 1966, I was given a beautiful watercolour painting of a chalice set in the middle of vines and grapes. That painting reminds me that the chalice is the symbol par excellence of the priesthood.

First of all there is the chalice of joy and consolation. There is an abiding inner joy in the priesthood associated with its many consolations: so many opportunities to bring grace through the sacraments and help in many ways. I think of the many thousands of times I have been able to say, in the place of Christ “I absolve you from your sins.”

There is the chalice of suffering. Every priest must spend his hour in the Garden of Gethsemani and join Simon of Cyrene in helping Christ carry the cross to Calvary. But God has graciously put a time limit on all earthly sickness and sorrow.

Above all there is the chalice of sacrifice, the greatest privilege in the world; that of standing in the place of Christ to offer the sacrifice of the Mass: to glorify God and Our Blessed Mother and all the angels and saints, for the souls of the departed and for the living.

Permit me to do a little boasting. I have been privileged to offer Mass in numerous places, signifying the Catholicity of the Church: at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, beside the body of Pope St. Pius X when it was brought to St. Mark’s in Venice in April of 1959, at the great cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna, in a village Church in Hungary during the Russian occupation, at the Shrine of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, beside the body of St. John Vianney at Ars using his chalice, in the ancient Cathedral of Cologne, in Westminster Cathedral in London, the private chapel of Cardinal Newman in Birmingham using his chalice, in the pro-cathedral in Dublin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and many other places.

I was privileged to be a Eucharistic minister at many papal Masses, including the funeral of Pope Pius VI, the inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul I, his funeral, and the inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul II. All of this points to the centrality of the Eucharist in a priest’s life, and that it is the priesthood that we are honoring today.

Gratitude

I cannot let this occasion pass without an expression of thanks and gratitude. First, I am grateful to God. Christ said: “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you”. This is a great mystery, the choosing of such a weak instrument.

I am grateful to my dear departed parents for their many sacrifices on my behalf. I am grateful to my brothers and sisters and all my relatives and in-laws. I single out my dear sister Doreen, a registered nurse, an angel of love and mercy to all the family, and my sister Shirley, here today. I thank my sister-in-law, Pauline Foy, for countless acts of help.

Sincerest thanks to Archbishop Collins, to Bishop Lacey and to this parish, who graciously hosted this occasion.

I thank and all who have helped with this celebration.

I thank the many priests who inspired me and my priest-friends who have been my help and companions. I thank my teachers, especially the De La Salle brothers who taught me in high school and who are taking care of me in the old age.

There are many here to whom I owe much. I wish to single out many outstanding pro-life workers who are here. What a great and noble and difficult work it is, trying to restore in Canada the Culture of Life.

Once when I was walking along a road near Rome, I met a small group of children. As they passed, they raised their arms and said “Salve!” — “Hail!”. I thought to myself: children were using that same beautiful greeting two thousand years ago. In similar vein, I say to you “Ave! Salve! Vale!” — “Hail and farewell and may it go well with you!”

May God bless you! Amen.