Final Mass for Canon Roddy Johnston
The night before Father Roddy died, I was privileged to celebrate Mass in his hospital room, surrounded by his family, writes The Right Reverend Brian McGee.
I began by telling him: “Roddy, I know that you love the Mass and this will be your last Mass on Earth before you join the Heavenly Banquet.” It was a beautiful experience.
Our Gospel today is so appropriate: the Road to Emmaus when two disciples, in deep confusion and sadness, are trying to work out what has happened when Jesus was crucified. It seemed their hopes, which had been placed in Jesus, were misplaced.
However, as Jesus explained the Scriptures to them the disciples’ hearts burned – which, of course, would be the Old Testament, which Fr Roddy loved and researched so thoroughly himself. And then when Jesus took the bread and repeated his actions during the Last Supper and at the Breaking of Bread, they recognised Jesus as the Risen Lord.
As Fr Roddy’s family, fellow priests, parishioners and friends, we have all been confused and shocked at the sudden death of Fr Roddy. I have no doubt that during this Mass the presence of the Risen Lord will enlighten and bring us hope.
During our Requiem Mass we pray for forgiveness for our brother. Like us all, Roddy was a sinner. However, we have just celebrated the events of Holy Week when Jesus forgave all sin through the Cross and conquered death through his Resurrection. It is with confidence that we seek God’s mercy. In our prayers, we also commend Roddy to the Lord for his goodness. We begin with his Faith. God reaches out to every person and Roddy felt that call of Christ deep within his heart, and in his search “for the face of the Lord” he joined the Catholic Church in 1989, aged 35. Four years later he was studying for the priesthood at the Beda College, Rome, before being ordained here in St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban, in 1997. Roddy loved God and this permeated his entire life. He was genuinely holy and shared what he had.
Fr Roddy served as an assistant priest in St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban, for two years before becoming parish priest of St John the Evangelist in Caol, and also St Mary and St Finnan, Glenfinnan.
In 2011 he moved to Our Holy Redeemer Parish in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. He was the first diocesan priest to live on Lewis since the Reformation, but his sincerity, friendliness (and ability to fix chainsaws!) built lasting bonds across the wider community. The parishioners very much appreciated how he had brought the parish out of a defensiveness and into the mainstream of island life, just as our fellow Christian brothers and sisters from other denominations were also grateful for the new friendship.
In 2019 he moved to St Mun’s, Glencoe, serving also The Visitation, Taynuilt. The following year he further ministered in Our Lady of the Angels, Mingarry, where he returned to in ill health. In 2022 he became parish priest of St Andrew’s, Rothesay, Isle of Bute. Who would have thought that he would have only celebrated one Easter there?
Throughout these 27 years, Roddy generously and enthusiastically helped the diocese in several roles, but especially as treasurer from 2013-16 and ultimately as the Vicar General from 2016-24.
When I moved to the diocese of Argyll and the Isles as bishop in 2016, my first appointment was to make Fr Roddy Vicar General. I am so glad that I did! Fr Roddy was such a rock to me and incredibly supportive on a personal level, a true friend.
However, not only was he committed to the work and put in the hours, but furthermore he was compassionate and understanding, always putting people at ease and often brought healing to difficult situations. He not only looked for good in everyone, he found it. When people aim to be fair, they point out someone’s fault but then mention a good point to try and balance it up. However, Fr Roddy began by listing positive attributes before acknowledging a fault. In other words, a failing was always put in the context of the person’s overall goodness.
Fr Roddy was a great communicator who played an important role as presenter, along with Cathy MacDonald, during the preparations for the Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, in 2010.
Through his decent humanity, his intellect and by drawing from both his vast variety of life experiences (kibbutz, art school, labourer, musician and especially as a forester: it was through the Forestry Commission that, luckily for us, he eventually settled in Oban – Roddy loved being in a forest, smelling pine! His experiences of nature generally and of forestry in particular, made a deep impression on him and he often used his insights in his pastoral and spiritual ministry), Fr Roddy touched people well beyond the Catholic Church. One example was his excellent Thought for the Days on BBC Radio Scotland.
However, it was primarily through personal encounters that so many lives were enriched.
In our first reading we heard that when Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray they encountered a lame man, who was begging. In the society of that time, the lame were excluded or restricted at many levels, including in aspects of their faith. Peter’s response to the lame beggar seems initially to be disappointing but then transcends all expectation as he is cured. The healing was God’s work but Peter was an instrument, including giving the man confidence to stand up for the first time in his life. He was now fully restored. Jesus’ ministry continued through Peter and John, and the people were astonished.
Since his death many have paid personal tributes to Fr Roddy. It struck me that people frequently remarked that when they were troubled or feeling isolated, he spent time with them in a gentle, uplifting and often humorous manner.
Roddy reached out to those who felt fragile or outcast and restored them – not through miracles but through his decent and wise humanity, which included his deep spirituality.
Pope Francis urges the Church to reach out to those who feel on the “margins”. Fr Roddy had always been doing this because as for him it was as natural as breathing.
When the lame man was healed, he praised God in the Temple, and so we, too, in this Church today thank God for the gift of Fr Roddy, who was so often an instrument of God’s healing.
We also pray for Fr Roddy’s family. Born on 27 August 1954 in Sheffield, we pray that he is now reunited with his loving parents Kathleen (Peggy) Margaret Ryan Johnston and James Johnston.
His siblings Jayne, Hamish, Michael and David will all have their memories of him, as will his nephews and nieces, who clearly adored him. It is easy to see why! It was lovely that you were able to visit him in his various parishes throughout this beautiful diocese.
The suddenness of Roddy’s death will have been hard for you to take in, but it was beautiful that you were able to spend quality time with him at the end. Very precious. We pray that this Easter season will bring hope to you and that you will find support and love in each other.
Fr Roddy’s family have very kindly remarked that the Church was his “other family”. As I also extend my condolences to our priests,
‘...he was compassionate and understanding, always putting people at ease and often brought healing to difficult situations.’
who have lost a brother they loved. Similarly, I extend my sympathies to his parishioners and people all across our diocese. We are all hurting, but let us support each other in prayer and friendship.
As we bury our brother let us remember that Christ continues to walk with us. Peter and John offered the beggar the truth, that Christ is our great hope for this life and for eternity. Like the lame beggar and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, may we accept Christ just as Fr Roddy did.
Fr Roddy’s earthly journey is over. We give thanks that he accompanied us during our journey and we pray for his eternal reward at the Heavenly Banquet.