by  Gerry Fitzpatrick

Bangladesh with the Xaverian Missionaries, Barlinnie for the prisoners, Emmaus for the homeless, the Scottish Drugs Forum for those with addictions, hospitals for the sick, Open House for those with a thirst for knowledge and debate – and a hut in Falkland Forest for himself ‘to make sense of it all’.

This extraordinary man and priest, Willy Slavin, who died in St Margaret’s Hospice, Clydebank, on 21 July, really believed that ‘God loved the world so much that he gave us his only Son’. He was convinced of the sheer practicality of the Gospel for human life and dignity – that ‘blessed are the poor’ and ‘I was hungry and you fed me’ actually could work, and he set out to try and put them into practice in his own life.

 Looking back over 70 years of Willy’s life in Blairs, the Scots College, Rome, and the Archdiocese of Glasgow, his friends and acquaintances could not but notice an impressive consistency.

In his first parish appointment after ordination in 1964, Willy wasn’t fully at ease because his experience of parish life somehow didn’t seem to have much in common with the church he expected. Massive cultural shifts in church and society had created dysfunctionality. In his second appointment, the parish priest, a former prison chaplain, recognised that Willy could help the parish adjust to the invitations and vision of Vatican II, and gave him encouragement.

He was asked to go to Glasgow University where he got much satisfaction in the study of psychology and later found it to be a very useful tool in pastoral work. His years working with the Xaverian Missionaries in the deprivations of Bangladesh affected him deeply – he said ‘there is plenty of money there but, as so often elsewhere, it’s in the wrong hands.’ The insights he gained helped prepare for his ministry when he was later invited to set up the national Justice and Peace Commission.

Willy’s chaplaincy at Barlinnie Prison gave him the opportunity to serve some very vulnerable people and meant a lot to him. People who have read his memoir will perhaps smile when they recall that he felt the need to disagree with the Governor of the prison when the prisoners felt they should go on strike over their treatment and conditions. When the Governor wanted to get rid of him, Willy reminded him that he couldn’t fire him because  the Archbishop appointed him and not the Governor. Significantly, Archbishop Winning gave Willy his full support, but the Governor got a medal and the prisoners got extended sentences!

Some of our classmates and colleagues used to meet as a support group at the Convent in Dennistoun and then in St Michael’s, Parkhead, and I remember when we gathered to mark the seventh anniversary of our ordination. We telephoned Tom Winning, who was then auxiliary bishop in Glasgow, to suggest we should get a medal for lasting seven years. The witty Winning replied ‘I’ll give you a medal, a miraculous medal – you’re going to need it.’

After his time at St Michael’s, Parkhead, Willy continued his work as a parish priest in St Alphonsus, then in St Simon’s and St Peter’s. He devoted much time to hospital work as well as the homeless charity, Emmaus, and the Scottish Drugs Forum. He supported the hospitality of the parish tearoom and the discussion group at St Simon’s and found great friendships there. He was in at the beginning of Open House, which is still going strong, and he realised how vital liturgy and music are, and warmly welcomed the Archdiocesan Music Committee which often held music workshops at St Simon’s.

 Willy realised that the church is not fully itself when it is divided; ecumenism, and the work of Glasgow Churches Together, meant a lot to him. When he was asked to help bring the Homeless Jesus statue to Glasgow City Centre, he secured the good offices of Glasgow Churches Together to organise it, and raised a lot of money to finance the project.

When he retired, he opted for the ‘simple life,’ stayed in his hut in the forest for five days days in the week and went to his sister Anne at the weekend. He was devoted to Anne and her family. He regularly presided at Mass in St Leo’s and people were glad of his short but effective homilies. He was tone deaf but realised the importance of singing and he sang anyway. Sometimes when we sang the Eucharistic Prayer together at Easter and Christmas we had tonal variations – but it didn’t matter – the singing wasn’t perfect but it ‘was as good as’.

Willy was a tireless worker who enjoyed lifelong friendships, and he travelled the world – to Russia and China and South America. In his latter years he made regular visits to friends in Florida and southern France. Last year, when his illness was clearly beginning to wear him down he still managed a trip to Rome and to Santiago de Compostela – indefatigable!

 He retired to the forest to ‘make sense of it all’. My choice of Psalm 83 for his funeral Vigil Service with its response ‘How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord God of hosts’ seemed appropriate for one who never gave up searching, who was aware of his shortcomings but was not overcome by them, and who realised that truly ‘God loved the world so much he gave us his only Son’.

How blest are those who have died in the Lord.

 Gerry Fitzpatrick is parish priest of St Leo’s, Dumbreck and director of liturgical music in the Archdiocese of Glasgow