entrance. His greatest building, however, was in the hearts of his people who loved him for his kindness, gentleness and humility. He never had a curate; a great pity as he would have been a wonderful model for a young priest.

Every year he went to Lourdes; that was his sole holiday. In the last year of his life, when he was sick from the illness that was to prove mortal, he changed the venue and went to Fatima.

He was great with gadgets, an ideal handyman. He loved to see how things worked, took them to pieces and reassembled them so that they still worked. He did all the wiring for the presbytery at Kidsgrove. Another great interest was history and his library contained many volumes of historical biographies.

He showed great courage in his last illness. `God is good', he would say. He said Mass, sitting down, for his beloved parishioners until a few days before he died on 20th May, 1985. Mgr Canon Welch, a lifelong friend from Cotton and Oscott days and neighbouring parish priest for over thirty years, preached on the eve of his Requiem Mass.

The Archbishop, who had been with Ernest when he died, said the Requiem Mass, assisted by many concelebrating clergy. In his homily His Grace recalled how Ernest had kept clear of episcopal authority. When asked if he had attended the consecration of Maurice Couve de Murville, Ernie replied in the negative. What about George Patrick? Well, no, he had not been present then. Francis Grimshaw, Joseph Masterson? No. Then when was the last consecration he had attended? That of Thomas Leighton Williams, his old Headmaster at Cotton, way back in 1929. On one occasion it seemed that he must visit Birmingham after more than 30 years at Kidsgrove for he was to return to his old parish at Radford. But, no, he decided to bypass the city and go via Coleshill. His Grace thoroughly approved of his wisdom.

Ernest was happy to remain at Kidsgrove where he was looked after devotedly by Miss Margaret Coates for 26 years. Here, in his quiet, unassuming way he endeared himself to his people. He was their Good Shepherd. He was a delightful host and during the last few weeks of his life he loved to reminisce about his days at Cotton and Oscott. He was a fine priest of whom Cotton has cause to be proud.

FATHER DENIS JOSEPH O'SHEA (1927-28)

Denis O'Shea was one of the three Chipping Norton brothers (hence the soubriquet 'Chippy') who were here in the `thirties. Their father was a well-known and highly respected doctor and they lived at the Manor House in the Oxfordshire town. The elder brother, Dr John Patrick, was here from 1921-26 and died in 1971. James Bernard and Denis Joseph followed him here and were exact contemporaries (1927-8).

Denis, born in 1913, did not come to Cotton as a Church student. After a short stay here, he eventually took his BA degree at London University. During the war he rose to the rank of Major in the Army and was one of the few men to escape from a Japanese prison camp. In his diffident way he rarely spoke of his war-time experiences. However, on one occasion when he was at Oscott as a professor, he was prevailed upon to appear in the Students' Common Room in the Sunday evening recreational activities, known at the English College, Rome, as `Forced Fun'. This particular entertainment was the "Tall Story Game," where

Father D. O 'Shea.

the audience listened to the story and judged whether it were true or not, and Denis mentioned his escape from Jap hands. He and his fellows had rigged up a make-shift boat and were escaping down one of the jungle creeks when to their horror they heard voices. This could only mean recapture and possibly torture and execution. To their joy the voices came from a similar escaping party who greeted them with the words: `Dr Livingstone, I presume'. The story was not tall.

After the war Denis felt the call to the priesthood. He studied at Oscott and was ordained on 1st June, 1952, at the age of 39. He spent five years teaching at Crosby Hall under the Headmastership of Mgr Wilf Moore. This must have been a most happy partnership with plenty of laughter, wit and cultured conversation.

In 1957 he was appointed to Oscott to lecture in Sociology, Fundamental and Moral Theology. His lectures were meticulously prepared and gave evidence of great scholarship. He was also a great source of help to the students in many ways outside the lecture-room.

In 1961 when Mgr Richard Foster became the 20th Rector of Oscott, he chose Denis as his Vice-Rector. The same thoroughness and conscientiousness which featured in his lectures was brought to his new job. In addition to these duties he was raising money at the week-ends for the Ecclesiastical Education Fund to educate future priests.

In 1970 he left Oscott to take charge of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes at Yardley Wood. It was typical of his devotion to duty that it was while taking Holy Communion to a sick parishioner that he collapsed and died on 27th July last year at the age of 71.

He was a gentleman in the finest sense of the word: a perfect example of Chaucer's `gentillesse' which involved generosity, magnanimity, courtesy and compassion. With his passing the Diocese has lost a great priest.

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