Vatican praise for priest

Monsignor James Dunlop Crichton, who spent 22 years working in Pershore, passed away on Sunday, September 2 after a heart attack.

"The long and fruitful life and priestly ministry of Mgr Crichton are an exceptional reason for pride on the part of the entire Archdiocese and the Church in England and Wales and even beyond national boundaries," said Cardinal Medina Estevez, from the Vatican.

"He worked untiringly, not only before his retirement as parish priest, but in the long years that followed."

After becoming priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, he become nationally renowned for his role as an editor, first of Music and Liturgy magazine and, later, Liturgy.

He was ordained aged 24 and travelled extensively to share his views on the Church's development of public prayer, trying to make the documents of the Church accessible to everyone.

His three-volume work, Christian Celebration, aimed to put the development and reform of the mass, sacraments and prayer of the Church within the easy reach of the masses.

Not content with writing, his dedication spilled over into a willingness to work with other Christian churches on joint ventures.

Despite officially retiring in 1977, Mgr Crichton penned a regular column in the Society of St Gregory Journal, entitled Musings from My Hermitage, that discussed topical issues in Catholic worship.

In 1995, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Sacred Liturgy by the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome.

Perhaps his grandest work was As It Was, published last year, which reminisced on worship throughout the 20th Century. He wrote the tome by hand, refusing to succumb to modern technology.

Even in his 90s, Mgr Crichton showed his unwavering commitment to his parish by coming out of retirement when the health of younger priests failed.

Reception of the body and mass was held at the church where he spent much of his ministry, Holy Redeemer, Pershore, on Monday. His funeral took place yesterday.