Posted by Fr. Kevin’s funeral will be held on June 20th, with Requiem Mass at 11 am at Nazareth House, East Finchley. The service will be presided over by his friend, Archbishop Donald Reece, Emeritus of Kingston, Jamaica, and Fr. George Adzato, Vice Provincial of the IBP. Following the Mass, Fr. Kevin will be laid to rest in our community grave at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Northwest London. Requiescat in pace.
Please see the tributes below, compiled by Fr. Provincial, Timothy Lehane SVD.
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One of our UK founding fathers and long-time missionary, Fr.Kevin O’Toole passed away peacefully at Nazareth Home, East Finchley, London on May 22nd. This year marked the 70th anniversary of his ordination and his prayer was heard as it was his dearest wish to begin this sacred journey to his eternal reward, and he truly deserved it. As a religious leader in the UK and the Caribbean District, Kevin was an authentic SVD religious, a great priest, and a perfect English gentleman. A missionary disciple who encountered Jesus through a personal experience of the love and presence of God.
Kevin was born on October 26th, 1928, in Bolton, England to James O Toole and Bridget Tierney. Their only surviving child, Kevin attended the local parochial school from 1933-41. On September 15th, 1941, he was admitted into the SVD Minor Seminary of St. Richard’s College, Hadzor. On September 8th, 1948, Kevin, with other members of his class,was sent to the Noviciate at Donamon and professed First Vows on September 8th, 1950. He went to Techny to study and professed Final Vows on September 8th, 1953, and was ordained there on August 15th, 1954. In 1955, he received hisfirst mission assignment to India, and travelled there with Tom Morris and Norman Davitt. While in India, and after learning Hindi, he was appointed Prefect of students in Paldauntil 1966 when he was appointed Parish Priest of St, Theresa’s Bandra in Mumbai. In 1971 he received a letter from the Generalate as Fr. John Fincutter had returned to the USA, appointing him Regional Superior in England for three years. In the 1972 General Chapter, all Regions were declared Provinces and Kevin remained in this post for three periods until 1980.
During his time, Fr. Fincutter had helped found the Missionary Institute in 1968 with John Prior and Vincent Fox being the first two SVD students there. Both and subsequent students lived with the White Fathers in Totteridge Lane. It was decided that the British Province should have its own residence for the SVD seminarians. Kevin was instrumental in buying the two houses in Teignmouth Road and arranged for the remodelling of these, work carried out by Val Moloney, Fr. Peter’s brother. Our London ‘major seminary’ was ready to begin in September 1975 with four resident priests Kevin (provincial), Frs. Peter McHugh (rector), Henry Koester (vice-rector and lecturer) and Martin McPake (lecturer), together with twelve seminarians (including future bishop, Doug Young) all of whom continued to study at the Missionary Institute.
Peter McHugh writes “Though he lived with us, Kevin allowed the seminary to run its own course. He joined in community activities, without interfering too much. For me as rector, his presence was encouraging. The mission zeal he had shown in India was an inspiring help for us to keep in mind the purpose of the community. Some years later I had Mass in St. Theresa’s Church in Bandra, which had been his last assignment in India. Even though it had been several years since he worked there, some parishioners came to me, asking about Fr. Kevin whom they remembered well with much affection”.
Not wishing to remain in the UK, Kevin was invited to Antigua by its first Bishop, Joseph Bowers SVD, a native of Dominica and who was transferred from Accra (Ghana) to head the Diocese. Fr. George Agger remembers “I first met Fr. Kevin O’Toole, in 1970 in Mumbai, India. He was the parish priest of a very large parish, and I was on route to my first missionary appointment in the Philippines. His hospitality and welcome were much appreciated by this young missionary, just passing through. It was my first experience of the East, an eye opener, and good to have someone like Kevin there with welcome and understanding. At that stage of his life, he was already a seasoned missionary, one of several English and Irish SVDs who served in India. Many years went by before our paths crossed again, this time in Antigua, West Indies”.
Kevin served over 26 years on the island nation of Antigua. A new Diocese, St. John Basseterre, was established in 1971, to serve the Northern Leeward Island. With his vast missionary experience in India, both in rural and city parishes and his administrative experience as Provincial Superior in England, Kevin was quickly involved in the new Diocese. When Bishop Donald Reece (who will preside at Kevin’s funeral on June 20th) was appointed in 1981 to succeed Bishop Bowers, he turned to Kevin to build a new Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Family. Kevin was appointed Administrator of the Cathedral 1981-90, Vicar General 1991-2006, Judicial Vicar 2000-2008 and member of the Antilles Episcopal Commission on Liturgy and Pastoral Life. The Diocese comprises of seven different islands, with five different national governments. A lot of administration work was involved, especially dealing with Government legislation regarding schools and other civic areas in the various island administrations. Geoge finishes by saying that “despite his many administrative tasks, Kevin loved his parish activities and in turn was loved by so many, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. He will be remembered by many throughout the Islands, especially in Antigua for many years to come”.
In 2009, after a period of discernment, Kevin finally decided to return to the UK and went back to Jamaica to give Liturgy instructions to pastoral agents. For those of us who have visited Kevin at his Nazareth Home residence over the past number of years we know of his great love and affection for the Caribbean and his face would light up when he spoke of his time there. Bishop Reece (Emeritus Archbishop of Kingston, Jamaica) was a frequent visitor. Brian O Rielly remembers when Kevin decided to return to England and retire, “his one concern was that he might be a ‘burden’ to the Province” I can safely say, that since then, we have all reassured Kevin that this was in no way the case; we saw him as a guiding light for all of us and was perfectly entitled to return back home after a lifetime of service, and I might add, “no one deserved more respect from us than Fr. Kevin”.
Dear confreres, in a world filled with uncertainty, Kevin stood as a testament to the enduring power of faith and love. His journey, born from the vision of St. Arnold Janssen, has touched countless lives and illuminated dark corners of the globe. He was happy to see so many younger confreres continue to come to the IBP and knew that others carry the light of the Divine Word to every corner of the world. May his presence amongst us and his story remind us that, in faith, we find our true calling and the ability to be a beacon of hope in the lives of others. We in the Society of the Divine Word are not just members of a congregation; but a living testament to the transformative power of faith, and our light too can shine brightly in a world that so often needs it.
May Fr. Kevin continue to intercede for us as he now rests in the peace of the Lord, whom he faithfully served throughout his long, fulfilled, and priestly life. requiescat in pace.
SVD IBP 