Father Barrie O’Toole CSsR died on the morning of 7 May at the age of 82.

 

Born in Leeds on 18 November 1936, he began his studies for the priesthood after completing his national service in the RAF.

 

He joined the Redemptorists in 1958, was professed in 1959 and ordained to the priesthood in January 1966. After completing a Church History degree in Rome, he taught Redemptorist students first at Hawkstone Hall and then at the student college in Canterbury, as its first rector. He subsequently returned to Hawkstone to run the Redemptorists’ pastoral centre.

 

Fr Barrie’s 53 years of priesthood included memorable spells in Brazil and Zimbabwe; he was always open to new adventures and was part of two new experimental mission communities, one at Kiln Green near Reading and the other at the John Paul Centre in Middlesbrough.

 

He moved to Bishop Eton, Childwall at the beginning of this decade and it was there, on 9 January 2016, that he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination. Fr Barrie had been suffering from cancer and passed away back in his native Yorkshire, in Ripon, where he had been receiving care from his sister Pat. His funeral took place at Bishop Eton on Tuesday 21 May.