Funeral Mass for Br Matthew Gormley OFM Cap.
Friday, 25 June 2021
Brother Matthew Gormley’s funeral takes place this morning (25th of June 2021) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Here is the link to watch the Mass at 9.45am Irish time : https://youtu.be/iT6GgtLbH3g
We regret to inform you that our Brother, Matthew Gormley, died early this morning at St George’s Hospital, Gqeberta, Port Elizabeth, Custody of South Africa . He was in his 80th year.
Matthew James was born at Dolphins Barn, Dublin, on the 13th July 1941, the son of Matthew and Charlotte (née Beaty) Gormley. He commenced his schooling in Rialto Primary, SCR, Dublin, moving to St Louis Primary, Rathmines, and then on to St Therese’s CBS, Donore Avenue, from where he went in 1955 to Driminagh Castle CBS Secondary, completing his second level education in Kevin Street Technical College in 1958.
He was admitted to the Capuchin Postulancy in Kilkenny on 21st September 1960 and entered the novitiate in the same friary the following month. Receiving temporary profession there a year later, he transferred to St Bonaventure’s University Hostel, Cork, where he was perpetually professed on 4th October 1964. Completing his theological studies in Ard Mhuire, County Donegal, he was ordained priest by the Bishop of Raphoe, + Anthony McFeely, on 16th June 1968. Later that year he began his life’s work as a missionary in South Africa.
In quick succession he served as assistant priest in the parishes at Belgravia, Bridgetown, and Welcome Estate before being appointed parish priest at Langa, where he was to serve for eleven years. In 1981 he embarked on a two year further education sabbatical taking in the Liturgy Centre in Carlow, Ireland, and the US. On his return to South Africa in 1983 he served as Postulancy Director and Novice Master returning to Langa as parish priest in 1989 and from 1992 till 1998 he served as pastor in St Joan of Arc Parish coupling this work with directing the post novitiate formation programme which formation work continued on until 2000 at San Damiano in Pietermaritzburg. He was in the Student house in Praetoria from 2000 till 2003. Following a sabbatical in Ireland he joined the parish in Port Elizabeth, where he worked until his final illness.
We wish to thank God for the life and missionary endeavours of Br Matthew and we thank Br Idilo Mroso and the friars of the Custody of South Africa for their brotherly support of Matthew during his final illness, with particular thanks to his dear sister, Sr Laura, who journeyed from California to be with him up to recently. May the good Lord reward him for his faithful service and give him eternal life.
“ … and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5.