Categories
Uncategorized

DEATH OF A PRIEST’S WIFE.

KATE FLANAGAN

Kate, who has just died and whose funeral is today, was the wife of Fr Ted Flanagan – priest of Clogher diocese and latterly of The Oratory

TED

Kate and Ted’s relationship began when he was a seminarian on Maynooth.

Kate moved to work in a Dublin hotel to be near Ted in Maynooth.

When Ted was ordained c 1960 he was appointed curate of Cooneen in County Fermanagh.

Cooneen Chapel

Kate went to live with Ted as his housekeeper.

Within a year they caused a major scandal by eloping together to England.

There were threats to their lives

They settled in Lincolnshire where Ted became a teacher and organist.

After rearing their five children Kate went to the University of Hull and gained a law degree.

After retirement Ted and Kate moved to live in Kate’s native Fanad in Donegal.

Clogher diocese had never taken any action against Ted. They just ignored the anomaly. So Ted remained a priest in canon law.

Ted decided to join The Oratory and said his first Mass in decades on an Oratory pilgrimage to Lourdes.

He celebrated Mass afterwards both at The Oratory and in various locations.

He celebrated many marriages as a nominated solemniser/ officiant of The Oratory Society.

Ted died in 2019 and is interred at Larne.

Kate will join Ted in the Larne plot.

Ted and Kate were big supporters of the British Labour Party.

They were also great hosts and their parties were legendary in Fanad, Donegal.

I had the pleasure of receiving their hospitality on many occasions.

May Kate and Ted be reunited at the Heavenly Banquet.

AND

131 replies on “DEATH OF A PRIEST’S WIFE.”

‘There were threats to their lives’
Generally speaking if your religion is the channel of grace of a loving God you don’t make death threats to someone leaving ministry.

Like

Religion has probably been the greatest cause of man made suffering worldwide. The partition of Ireland foreshadowed the even more horrific trauma of the partition of India: all thanks to the “Great British Empire.”
Many conflicts are viewed as ethnic differences, but at their root, perceptions of having a “different God” has played a huge part.
And that “good book” of western monotheistic religions, the bible, particularly the Old Testament, endorses the particularism espoused by religion.

Liked by 1 person

It’s a funny thing, I always fancied visiting Ireland and then I read the comments on this blog. Jesus, how do you all live at this level of continual angst and drama?

Like

Particularism espoused by religion? Now you’d have to be more particular about what you meant by ‘particularism’, because particularism is a broad church, semantically speaking.
In particular, it can mean moral stuff, or anthropological stuff, or, in particular with the Old Testament, particularly the Israelites, and monotheism.
Did you have anything particular in mind when you particularly mentioned ‘particularism’? I’d particularly like to know.
I do hope I haven’t been too particular; I should hate to be known as fussy, in particular.

Like

I specifically intended the word “particularism” to be understood in its common definition. I refer you to its meaning, as in Google, “exclusive attachment to one’s own group, party, or nation.” In theology, it is defined as “the doctrine that some, but not all people are elected and redeemed.”

Like

That was particularly good of you to clear up the confusion over your usage of the word ‘particularism’, because, to be particular, your previous post wasn’t particularly clear.

Now that the particulars of ‘particularism’ in your previous post have been set down, particularly, I am grateful (indeed, particularly so) for your particularised attention to those details.

Thank you.

Like

She must have been a stunner in her halcyon days, blue eyes, very fair skin and red hair. It’s always nice at a funeral to have a photograph of the deceased young and, the old.
United in life. united in death, out of life into eternity.
(We hope……)

Like

The photo was taken by an award
ward winning photographer / artist from London who spotted Kate in a restaurant and asked for a photo on the spot.

She won an award for the pic.

Liked by 1 person

By Post Author

I can see why she won an award for that picture, it’s actually utterly astounding – is there anywhere I can buy a copy of it? Thank you

Like

Pat that is one hell of an amazing photo, who took it, is there copies or where can we buy them like Maura has previously asked?
How natural and beautiful is Kate in that. Wow I am breath taken

Like

God receive them both.
Pat, you’re a journalist and author. Couldn’t you write a book about this wonderful couple? I’d love to see it turned into a movie. A (forbidden) love story on celluloid.
Think about it, Pat. You are a gifted writer, and I have praised you for such in the past. My praise does not come lightly.

Like

Four years after the notorious Summer of Shame 2018 this book by Mark D White is a thorough account of the ordeal that Theodore McCarricks victims endured courtesy of the Vatican cover up machine. Book also documents crimes of McCarricks crony Michael Bransfield. At least a dozen seminarians in Northern Argentina suffered between 2013 & 2017 at the hands of Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta.
Courageous ex seminarians & lay people took on the mitred mafia and their powerful cronies. A court case is pending in Argentina on misuses of money.

Liked by 1 person

Look how many bishops he ordained:
https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmccar.html
He must have ordained hundreds of priests, and I’m sure they were all models of integrity and didn’t return the favor. Incidentally I see McCarrick was himself ordained a priest by Cardinal Spellman, who was in an affair with a chorus boy.
https://www.salon.com/2019/02/09/i-was-groped-by-a-man-called-mary-the-world-changes-but-not-the-catholic-church/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMary's%E2%80%9D%20real%20name%20was%20Francis,the%20diocese%20of%20New%20York.

Like

Modeh Ani…..My sympathies to you Bishop Pat and The Oratory Community. My Prayers and Sympathies To the Family of Kate. May Kate and Ted enjoy Gods presence forever. Bill Mulvihill

Like

I am ready to tell my story of falling in love with a Priest if the D&C diocese, how he gaslighted me, cheated me and made me have a mental breakdown. May I contact you with juicy pics and evidence also.

Like

Daniel, you are not the first, won’t be the second (names terms maybe) but? You will be the last and the everything, hand in there

Like

Women of the future will not look like our Kate – natural.
Wrinkles that tell a story
Sunken eyes from the worry
No lips made of rubber
And a body more saggy than flubber

Like

Kates sister is my aunt through Marriage and she will be deeply missed by all us Mongan clang, thank you for being a friend and more to them.

Like

Remember the times we all had down the caravan. And she would have brought her soup pot and made a wild pot a soup, gone my love but never forgotten

Like

Kate was an extremely courageous and kind woman. When I had bowel cancer and was fitted with a stoma, she was there for me every step of the way. her advice, kindness and help really got me through it. Her own experience of dealing with stoma made her a rock of strength for me and I will always be grateful to her. Rest easy friend.

Like

I am glad to hear you got such strength from Kate and that she used her own experience of stoma as a way of helping you and others. I am dealing with a. similar issue- catheter, but it’s always getting infected and I have nobody to turn to for help and it’s so sore. Pray for me.

Like

awk Charlie, I feel for you. That’s so difficult. I had a catheter too recently after surgery, and unfortunately it resulted in a very humiliating “happening” in front of a carer- but in fairness the lad was kind and sympathetic and reassured me that there was nothing to be embarrassed about and that these things happen.

Like

There should be a lot more awareness of these types of health issues that so many of us are facing. Stomas are very common nowadays and thankfully often reversible. Mine can’t be reversed unfortunately and I have it for life- the unfortunate consequence of too many years of drinking and hard living that thankfully is behind me now. My wee grandson is really natural about it though- I suppose he has grown up with it- and he always talks about granny’s frozen curry. He’s a wee hoot so he is.

Like

Fr Ted met his soulmate while a seminarian at Maynooth? Sounds like this story has all the makings of a Netflix series. You can’t fake true love or happiness. Rest in peace Kate (and Fr Ted).

Like

Nottingham Bishop and Under 10s Away Days……I assume this is not Under 10s as in Primary School, but Under 10s as in years ordained ?! I could barely contain myself with the joyful expectation of being in the relaxed presence of Bishop McKinney. Oh Joy ! Not ! Pretty boring and pedestrian in reality it will be. Anyhow, how many Under 10s does Nottingham Diocese have ? Very few, I would imagine, and even if they have had chaps ordained in the last 10 years, I would hazard a guess that at least half of them will have moved away / left / gone MIA / guests of HMP / run off with b/f, or just given two fingers. The abysmal retention, the lack of vocations, the standard of clergy and their woeful education and formation surely points to a systemic and existential failure of the priesthood, and the need for a thorough root and branch rethink ? Maybe + McKinney could cast his mind and energies to that rather than flogging a dead horse which has long since expired ? But, I doubt he – or the vast majority of bishops – have the wit and intelligence to be able to do that, and would rather indulge in a bit of enforced jollity and head in the sand.

Like

Junior clergy days were always for under 5 years ordained. There must be so few of those now to make such days unviable.

Like

It just proves. Ted and Kate. Pat and Ed. Priests are good people with human emotion and instinct. So long as they can/do remain loyal I don’t see why they need to be single and celibate. When clergy leave clerical roles for fellow man or woman – those relationships tend to last the time.

Like

A national survey of Protestant clergy, conducted in 1993 and 1994 by the Hartford Seminary, found that 25% of clergywomen and 20% of clergymen have been divorced at least once.

Like

How does Phonsie explain his support of the wayward abbot to married men of good standing who cannot be ordained?
How does Tom Deenihan explain his mistreatment of Dom Benedict Andersen to married men of good standing who cannot be ordained?
Phonsie and Tom must examine their consciences. What have they done? What have they failed to do?

Like

Seamus viii at 12.56pm
Its sheer hypocrisy by both of them. They are both bishops.
Trust in bishops totally gone after blog on Freeman.
Think phonsie is gay although I could be quite wrong there. Or perhaps they had sex back in Mt Melleray or Waterford.
One way out for Dom Benedict Anderson is the legal route. Cos new york diocese and Meath aren’t answering him despite publican of pillar Catholic.

Like

DG 2:03,
Maith an fear DG. Tá an ceart agat. It is sheer hypocrisy by both of them. Phonsie has been a complete embarrassment. Tom is a thundering disgrace.
Phonsie was rather fortunate that it was a Cistercians matter, otherwise calls for him to resign would have been justified.
Tom must resign. Sure his Episcopal position is untenable?

Like

Seamus viii at 5.09pm
Phonsie was fortunate cos it’s a Cistercian matter. But it’s an indirect responsibility as well for Phonsie as well.
Think it is of diocesan right as I’m only learning here and there.
What concerns me re Phonsie is young people as he has a couple of them in his house (could anyone confirm this?), youth retreats in co-Tipperary house, and Medjugorje youth festival. What’s his angle there? money or sex or shoring up vocation crisis?
TD’s position is getting worse as time passes by. He isn’t interested in justifying another person such as benedict Andersen by his wrongdoing..
His predictable silence, and vindictive response such as ‘perps corner’ was quite nasty, especially coming from TD. I can’t understand why the diocese of Meath or Vatican curia along with Nuncio came up with TD’s name.
The only way as I see it is the legal route for DBA to recover his good name. It sounded like defamation to me.
I would encourage DBA to continue to publish his story at Silverstream and expand elsewhere to create a profile of what’s happening in Silverstream, a bigger picture if you like.
TD’s angle is money I think cos of its surrounding lands or huge donations coming from the states to fill Silverstream’s coffers. i was thinking whose surrounding lands does it belong to? I think Silverstream bought the house but not the lands. Correct me if I’m wrong there.
You would need a lot of evidence to shaft TD out. but we don’t have it at the moment. TD is quite very ambitious regarding the next step -the archbishop. cos of his speech at Murphy funeral.

Like

DG 7:42, Silverstream Priory is of diocesan right. Tom Deenihan cannot wash his hands of responsibility, though that doesn’t stop him.
Mount Melleray is of the Order of Cistercians of Strict Observance. This is why Pat was in communication with the previous abbot general to sort out the whole sordid affair.
The OSCO arranged the visitation last year. The end result was the resignation of the abbot and the abbot general.
Tom Deenihan arranged the visitation of Silverstream Priory. The end result, Tom wanted to reinstate Mark Kirby as Prior.
Tom only reported Benedict’s allegations of harassment to the Gardaí, only after Benedict had written to the apostolic nuncio to report Kirby’s harassment.
Reporting the matter to the Gardaí would indicate that Tom understood the seriousness of the harassment issue. How could the Tom report allegations of misconduct to Gardaí while also confirming the accused Mark Kirby into a leadership position?
Tom has a lot of explaining to do. He must not be left off the hook.🪝

Like

I remember Kate very well in her 20s, Altho we use to call her kitty, she got the nickname because she befriended a cat and we were all petrified of them, she never had another one around her I am led to believe, but her gentle sound with this cat made us around her cat lovers.

Like

In fairness, she loved all animals in God’s creation and could see beauty everywhere. I was terrified of mice as a child, but Kate always told me they were “God’s little creatures” and that they should never be killed. She always left out a little bowl of grain for the mice in the yard, and it’s a simple act of kindness that I never forgot.

Like

My dad was like that when fishing- it does sound odd but I remember he stopped using live bait (maggots etc) because they were living features- but he had no problem throwing a hook into the sea for fish to be killed and eaten. It was one of the strange anomalies of my late dad.

Like

@ 9:32am

The cheek of him having the audacity to turn up for a ‘celebration’ after what he did. It say’s it all that these hopeless bishops insisted he concelebrate Ugh! that invalid anniversary Mass. They should have been reported to The Holy See.

Like

‘after what he did’

Your reminder that the worst sin for Catholics™️ is to break ranks and their code of loyalty, just like any cult.

Liked by 1 person

When you get the 50th anniversary of marriage or ordination, I think you look back at your life and realise what was essential and what wasn’t. He was a man who stayed faithful to his wife and raised five children. He was probably more steadfast in his commitments than many of the jubilarians! The bishops recognised this and asked him to sit with them on the sanctuary.

Like

Well report them to the Holy See, 10:11. Or does moaning that nobody else has done this give you a sensation of being useful?

Like

@ 11:42am

It would have been better had he stayed true to his ordination promises! As for those dreadful bishops, they should have recognized that. They’ll answer for that sacrilege.

Like

Pat, why is Kate dressed like a tricolour in that photo? Knowing the genius stylist she was she has purposely wore a green jumper and white shirt to match her Red hair, a true Irish woman til death

Like

Then why do you accept such bad treatment from your menfolk? I knew two traveller girls in our town- lovely people they were- but they were absolutely slaughtered by their husbands and were afraid to ever so to the police

Like

In other church business, Fintan Monahan re-tweet from Trócaire: Today we are calling on the Government to increase overseas aid in the Budget as humanitarian needs in the world spiral. Our CEO @CdeBarra says: “The reality that people are dying of hunger in 2022 signifies a profound political failure.”
How about sorting out the rising inflation, housing, and poverty crises in Ireland first? Trócaire is a sham and Fintan is playing the fiddle while Killaloe burns.

Like

Fintan is tweeting this stuff as a distraction from the madhouse that is Killaloe Diocese. You had the Danger Wanker beyond in Salthill getting himself a conviction followed by the Continuing Adventures of the Castleconnell Lothario. Is there any update on either of these issues? More like Fintan to tweet ”the reality that victims of Killaloe Diocese have not been apologised to by Deviant Clerics signifies a profound Bishop Failure”

Like

11.02 Things have gone unusually quiet in Killaloe ever since I sent an email to Fintan and Cleo threatening to expose his Lothario priest on social media unless the harassment & attacks by Ger & his band of merry mischief makers on the blog cease. I give credit to Pat for being more stringent on the moderation but who knows, maybe Fintan had a chat with Ger *wink wink*. The Killaloe Diocese™️ will always look after their own interests!

Like

The trolls are being silenced. It must drive them mad. Went over to the Clare side of Doonas yesterday and enjoyed a nice hike to the turret…I’d love to find some artefacts of the old medieval castle that once stood there. I saw something in the Castleconnell Parish Newsletter that made me laugh… Double entendre 😂
“Money Matters – Offertory Collection €990. Thank you for your generosity.
Killaloe Diocesan Collection for Youth Ministry next weekend Sept 3rd/4th
We express our thanks to all who continue to contribute to the parish each week despite the financial hardships we are all experiencing at this time. Your generosity is most appreciated.”

Like

@11.50 fools and their money, etc. They’d better spend it on victims nit likely though

Like

@Karen
something has changed. Gone very quiet. Even the troll trying to track me down has vanished. How’s Castleconnell?

Like

What a woman Kate was. Reared five children and then went and got a degree afterwards in law. This is a serious achievement. God Rest Her Soul. I am sure she and her husband are enjoying the craic Upstairs.

Like

12:01 I always wonder how people access this blog when so many apparently don’t have access to the internet. Perhaps someone prints the day’s blog out, nails it to the church door and then posts any comments scrawled on it.

For those who actually don’t know how to find stuff out on the internet.
Go to google.com or any other search engine.
Type in the event you are interested in, e.g. ‘The Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals’. To make it precise you can add 2022 or August 2022 and press return.
Click the images tab at the top and you can see pictures of who’s there.
If you want a specific person you can add their name.

This is also useful in discerning a vocation because you can find out the stuff they don’t talk about.
For example you can search for the institute and add the word scandal or abuse to see what is public.
For example
‘Silverstream priory scandal ‘ filters out the fan sites and you can see what people are saying about it.
Similarly
‘Archdiocese of Birmingham abuse’ will just bring up the abuse stuff and filter out the official publications.

As 12:01 says you can also do specific searches on
Facebook.com
Twitter.com
And others
But sometimes they want you to be signed up to show you the results. Not to worry though, going back to Google and doing your search including the name of the social media site will bring up some results.

Like

What is extraordinary about a consistory of cardinals? A bunch of old men and their bull. Are you mad?

Like

11.01 He was….he got bored ….headed for Formia/ Guy_eh-ta…..for the usual……libation.

Like

Yesterday it was suggested that two seminarians were at it in the Irish College and that it was reported to Archbishop/Cardinal Connell. Someone suggested to look back on the blog and the story would be there, but it’s not. Was it taken down? It was said yesterday that the ordinations were delayed. Is one of these seminarians still a priest in a different diocese to the one he was ordained for.

Like

10.25 Nosey, Nosey. It’s all past history, done and dusted. Why do you want to know? The matter was dealt with, full stop.

Like

Nosey? Hardly. Why were other people asked to leave for stuff? Dealt with? Were they ordained? Are they both still priests?

Like

Someone said yesterday it was dealt with in the blog a few years ago but when one searches there is no mention of it. Was it taken down?

Like

@10:25 “It’s all past history” if that be the case then the blog can close down. You’re just a cover-up merchant

Like

Awk, its a lovely photo but to say you can “look inside her soul” is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? Only God can look inside a person’s soul- a photographer can only take their picture.

Like

Padre Pio claimed to be able, not to see souls as such, but to read them: you know, grade them morally. Good, fair to middling, poor, one-foot-already-in-Hell; that sort of useful ability.
Someone I know told me that my soul, AT THE TIME, was ‘not too bad’. That would be ‘fair to middling’, I suppose

Like

2.29 Shia LaBeouf doesn’t think Padre Pio was mad as a brush…https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/252138/shia-labeouf-convert-catholic-faith

Like

2.29
Never turn your back on an Eyetie (Italian): he’ll either knife you, or betray you,

Like

May Kate and Ted rest in peace and I’m sure smile at the unnecessary shite we get up to down here.

Like

Pat, thinking about Deaf Guys comment above about Benedict Anderson you said ages ago that you thought there were dioceses or institutes that would take him even without the letter of good standing.
Are you able to give us an idea which they are?

Like

There is a land of the living and a land of the dead. The bridge between them is love. Thornton Wilder

Like

Bull.
The dead cannot love, cos they’re dead.
There is no such thing as dead. Everything that lives is of God. As God is eternal, nothing, really, dies.
The ‘dead’ are ever alive, but the alive can be dead.

Like

6.01 I am afraid Thorton Wilder is dead, otherwise you could tell him: his words….words have meaning independent of your credal belief or mine; the writer deserves respect, period.

Like

I know you don’t like Magna Carta, Pat, which is probably why you didn’t answer his post. No one here really likes him. But, drunken fool that he is, he has a point.

You could write a biography of Kate and Ted. You knew them well, and it could become a best-seller IF professionally marketed.

Like

Okay, I’ve had my Noilly Prat aperitif with a splash of gin (Tanqueray, of course), slice of lemon and ice……and I’m waiting to open a nice bottle of claret to enjoy with my Forager’s Chicken (a Jamie Oliver recipe with chicken legs and thighs, mushrooms, smoked pancetta, garlic, potatoes, thyme, wine and finished with creme fraiche)…so what is wrong with the world ?! Not much. Except all this clergy nonsense and their self-importance which pisses me off. Young clerical bucks thinking they are the bees knees, heading off to Rome and dolling themselves out in all that EuroClero / Gammarelli / Barbiconi lace and frills, thinking they look good and classy. I’ve earned my dinner tonight, donkey’s years of ministry and service, so these young clerical twits need to get some time in and start to work down the coal face and roll around in the sheep shit to get the smell the Papa is always talking about. Then they can indulge themselves, as I am doing tonight. Until then, I just wish they would grow a pair of balls, act like proper men, be of service to those around them and stop thinking about the priesthood as a vehicle for a good and comfortable life, and something which shields their very obvious failings and limitations. There you go, I’ve said it ! Maybe it’s the Tanqueray in the aperitif that’s talking. Might have been a bit too generous with it…..

Like

5.56pm A man of good taste Tanqueray. And I’m impressed by the Noilly Prat.
All you needed now was a relaxing boat trip out on the lake on this fine day.

Like

6.11 Has someone got you in a bit of a bind CyberPunk ? Its very funny. Bill ( I have never used my first name singularly before…so please don’t take my comment the wrong way.)

Like

There isn’t a problem with Magna Carta. Pat owns the blog. Therefore, the truth!!! Will only ever the truth as Pat sees it.

Like

Pat I am really struggling as a lay man to be celibate, so I understand a Priests predicament. It must be so difficult for them and I think it needs to change.

Like

You mean, dear friend, that you’re struggling not to w**k?
Struggle no more! I’m at one with that dear boy, Oscott Childe: the only way to rid oneself of temptation is to yield to it.
Thus agrees the Lorde.

Like

Leave a comment