CANON
CHARLES MATTHEWS
Charles
Matthews was born on 19 November 1927 at Clooneen, Granard,
County Longford, Ireland. He was educated at Saint Mel’s College, Longford and Saint
Peter’s College, Wexford where he was ordained on 8 June 1952.
His first appointment was as a curate to Saint Joseph’s Church, Kilmarnock. In
1953, he came to the Church of Saint Peter in Chains.
In 1962, he left Saint Peter’s to become parish priest
of the Church of Saint Thomas, Apostle, Muirkirk where he remained till 1970.
He served at Saint Joseph’s, Catrine from 1970 to 1980; Our Lady of Perpetual
Succour, Millport from 1982 to 1987; Saint Mary’s, Irvine from 1988 to
1990 and Saint Bride’s, West Kilbride till his death
there on 15 March 1996.
The left photograph above was taken in about 1958; the right one in about
1959; and the one below in about 1960.
The report below is from the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald of 5 October
1962.
The Reverend Father Charles Matthews (shown centre in the photograph below)
who until recently was curate at Saint Peter in Chains, Ardrossan and is now
parish priest at Saint Thomas's, Muirkirk, was presented with a cheque from
his former parishioners at a ceremony in Castlecraigs, Ardrossan last Sunday
evening (30 September 1962).
More than twenty priests from various parts of the Diocese of Galloway were among the large company attending the function at which Police Judge James Dorrian, chairman of the Parochial Committee, presided. The Reverend Father Lawrence Walls Fischer (shown right in the photograph below), parish priest, welcomed Father Matthews back to Ardrossan and paid tribute to the work he had done in the parish during his nine years as a curate.
Police Judge Dorrian, in congratulating Father Matthews on his new appointment, said that his departure was at the same time regretted by the parishioners of Ardrossan where he had given valuable service and had been a source of comfort and strength, particularly among the sick and the housebound.
After commenting on the spiritual aspects of Father Matthew's work locally, Police Judge Dorrian spoke of his early training as a curate at Saint Joseph's, Kilmarnock and said that he had shown great interest in the welfare of young people. Police Judge Dorrian went on to welcome the new curate, the Reverend Father John Murphy, a native of Ayr, who had come from Saint Andrew's, Dumfries.
In making the presentation to Father Matthews, Mrs Mary McLaughlan (shown left in the photo left), vice-president of the Parochial Committee said that the gift was an expression of the parishioners' appreciation of Father Matthews' willing service in Ardrossan and a token of their esteem. On behalf of her fellow parishioners, she wished him every success in the future. In reply, Father Matthews thanked the various speakers for their kind sentiments and the parishioners for their generous gift. He paid tribute to the cooperation and guidance he had received from Father Fischer and counted it an honour to have worked with him.
Another speaker was the Reverend Father Hurley of Saint Augustine's, Glasgow who recalled his early association and subsequent friendship with Father Matthews at a seminary in County Wexford and on behalf of his priesthood friends, offered him good wishes for the future.
Following the presentation ceremony, the company were entertained to a concert at the artistes were Mr James McGrattan, compere; Mr John Cosgrove and Mrs Kitty Cook, vocalists; Mr Aiden McKellar, accordionist and Mr Gerry McCulloch, accompanist. Afterwards, a short film-show was given by Doctor John Dolan, the films featuring the activities of Saint Peter's Youth Clubs.
The
obituary below is from the Scottish Catholic Directory,
1997.
Canon Charles Matthews died after a long and protracted illness on Friday
15 March 1996. The parishioners of Saint Bride’s West Kilbride mourned
the loss of a generous, warm-hearted and charitable priest whom they had come
to know and love for the past six years. His loss was reflected in the
large number of people who attended the funeral services on both days.
Charlie
Matthews was born on 19 November 1927 at Cloonean, Granard, County Longford.
One of a large family, it was not easy for parents like his, in those
days to educate and present their boy for the priesthood. It was all the
more difficult because it was during and after the war years, when the necessities
of livelihood were hard to come by. But as the desire in so many Irish
families was always great for one of their sons to become a priest, the sacrifice
of paying for Charlie's education was readily undertaken by his parents. He
received his secondary education at Saint Mel’s College, Longford and after
obtaining his Leaving Certificate there, entered the ecclesiastical Saint Peter’s
College, Wexford. These years in College were notable for their shortages
of food and heating and many students often went to bed hungry and cold during
the winter months. In his six year's stay in the Ecclesiastical College,
Charlie never experienced any heating in the College. Yet students of those
days never wavered in their determination and efforts to dedicate their lives
to God, because of such inconveniences. After a course of two years philosophy
and four years theology, Charlie Matthews was ordained priest by Bishop Staunton
of Ferns for Galloway Diocese.
It is difficult to adequately describe the feelings of a young priest taking
up his duties in a parish for the first time. It is doubly difficult when
the young priest comes from another land and finds himself thrown headlong into
a large town parish so unfamiliar to the country parish into which he was born
and reared. But Charlie had the rare gift of making himself at home in
any situation and before long, after surviving the initial feelings of fright,
found himself at one with the people he had come to serve. His stay at
Saint Joseph’s, Kilmarnock was short (1952-53) but most rewarding for he often
spoke of his first parish and the kind parishioners who made his early priestly
work so happy for him.
Father Matthews was transferred to Saint Peter in Chains, Ardrossan and his
nine years stay (1953-62) there with Canon Fischer
was for him an unforgettable experience. There he also met the Canon’s
nieces - Rita and Eileen Fischer who later on helped him a lot during his time
of illness and convalescence. Charlie's silent, gentle and unobtrusive
manner and quaint humour endeared him to the parishioners of Saint Peter’s. He
visited the homes of the parish continuously and attended the sick and elderly
with unflagging zeal. Many, many years later, when saying supply Masses
for Father Lynch, he could talk to many
of Saint Peter’s parishioners of old, and tell them the name of the street in
which they lived and even the number on their doors. He had a special gift
of communicating with people and left a deep impression of his brotherly love
for all people.
Father Matthews took up his priestly duties at Saint Thomas’, Muirkirk in 1962
and stayed there for eight years. These were frustrating times with the
long period of unrest in the coal industry. The coal mines were in decline
or coming to an end, and the means of making a living was taken away from so
many people and their families. As time went by, many were leaving the
parish to seek a home and work elsewhere. In such times of adversity, Father
Matthews was always on hand to give words of advice and encouragement. His
special relationship with the school children of every parish he attended helped
to make his name live on in their hearts and homes long after his departure
from the parish.
In 1970, Father Matthews was transferred to Saint Joseph’s, Catrine, taking
with him the long experiences he had in dealing with parochial problems. He
spent ten happy years there and it was in Saint Joseph's that he met Mary O’Brien
who became his trusted housekeeper, and who was to stay and support him for
the next twenty-five years.
Every priest during some period of his priestly life meets with obstacles or
disappointments which can lead to frustrations or even days of depression.
Such times are very trying and the helping hand of a brother priest is the best
remedy at such times of loneliness and depression. Father Matthews found
such help in the person of Father Sam McGinness during his stay at Our Lady’s,
Millport and Saint Mary’s, Irvine. Before long, with Father Sam's help
he was able to sweep aside such personal difficulties and even relate them afterwards
to others with a certain amount of charm and humour.
Saint Bride's, West Kilbride in 1990 gave him again the opportunity to be a
true shepherd to his flock. Now appointed a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter
he set about administering the parish with great zeal. The observance of
the new Liturgy of the Eucharist with its emphasis on community participation
was promoted. The gathering of the Faithful for Sunday worship at which
people came to meet with their God and with one another was a source of great
joy to the Canon and they were welcomed accordingly. The singing of the
parts of the Sunday Mass began to be appreciated and the altar boys and altar
girls began to appear regularly in their new robes. Christmas and Easter
festivals, together with the special occasions like the First Communions and
the Inter-Church gatherings were always times of rejoicing to be looked forward
to. The Canon’s concern for his school children and the visitation of the sick
and the elderly was always uppermost in his thoughts and conversations. He
had also the maintenance of the Church and Chapel-house to the fore and set
about collecting for double glazed windows and these he later installed when
he had enough collected to pay for them. These new windows greatly enhanced
both buildings. The painting of the Church and house which followed, together
with the monastic atmosphere of the large well-kept grounds, giving a continuous
air of peace and tranquillity, left the parishioners with a sense of joy and
pride in themselves and their Parish. The Canon felt at home with his people.
The Celtic team which has been nurtured and sustained at Seamill Hydro before
their many encounters with world-class opposition teams, found in Canon Matthews
one of their most ardent supporters, during their visits within his parish.It
was a common occurrence to see their Manager, Tommy Burns making frequent visits
to Saint Bride’s. It was indeed not surprising to see Tommy and the captain
of the team, Paul McStay representing the Club, at his funeral Mass. The Canon
loved all the fun and arguments that were part of the football game. When
Jack Charlton’s Irish team beat the Italians in their important European match,
it was reported that the Canon went off everywhere to seek his Italian friends
and shake their hands and offer them a sprig of shamrock as a memento.
Canon Matthews found his happiness in the simple things of life. Always
a keen gardener, he spent the long summer hours up until midnight in his vegetable
plot, a plot that many professional gardeners might envy. Even in his declining
months, when hopes of recovery from his fatal illness were fading, he took solace
and comfort in the garden he loved and around the shrine of Our Lady nearby. During
the last weeks of his illness, he remained cheery and left his future completely
in the hand of God. Always assisted by his faithful housekeeper, Mary and
nurses Margaret Campbell and Jamesina Hendry, bore his sufferings to the end
with remarkable fortitude.
Charlie Matthews will be remembered by those who knew him best as a simple and
humble man. The great Saint Paul confessed to the Corinthians that he came
to preach to them “not
with any show of oratory or philosophy”
but to teach a Christianity based on the love of the crucified Christ and to
teach the things “that
no eye has seen or ear has heard beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared
for those who love him”.
I’m sure the Canon would like to feel that he did his best to follow
in the steps of Saint Paul.
“Learn
of me, for I am meek and humble of heart”
says the Lord in His message to us all. With a deep Faith in God and in
the Church which his Son founded, with his warming hospitality and welcoming
approach to all who called on him, whether priest or lay person, with his kindness
and humility at all times, this by any Christian standard, is the hall-mark
of a very nice person. Indeed with such faith and practice of virtue eternal
happiness must be assured.
Canon Charles Matthews was laid to rest, after concelebrated Mass, led by Bishop
Taylor, with a large congregation from the many parishes he served at West Kilbride
Cemetery on Tuesday 19 March 1996 - the feast of Saint Joseph, patron of a happy
death.