Father Richard Sullivan SDS - RIP

Date: 18 August 2007

Father Richard Sullivan, a Salvatorian priest, who has died at the age of 81, ran a rural parish in Chew Magna, Somerset.

“No good will ever come of him” was the verdict of one of Richard’s Jesuit teachers in Everton when his mother was asked to remove him from the college there as he was considered hopeless as an examination candidate.

Well, a bit like the Cure d’Ars, St John Vianney, Richard had a vision of himself as a priest.

Richard wrote a book, “Bless and tell” which showed a lesson in faith and perseverance. Overcoming poverty plus a lack of ability to absorb learning which resulted in dismal school results, Richard maintained his vision of becoming a priest through thick and thin.

A parish Jesuit helped him get a part time job in a chemist’s shop despite his lack of qualifications. He entered the RAF when World War Two was drawing to a close and when kicked out of that service he joined up with the Durham Light Infantry. He volunteered whilst in Rotterdam to become a driver and bodyguard to an Army Major.

Returning to Civvy Street he eventually passed the exams which enabled him to enter the Civil Service in HM Customs and Excise. Around that time he joined the Catholic Evidence Guild and became proficient as a public speaker.

He still felt that he had a vocation and was eventually accepted as a novice with the Salvatorian order, the Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS). Ordained at the age of 35, well versed in philosophy and theology he fell off his chair when his Provincial superior said “I want you to teach biology in our school.” This meant getting a science degree, years more study at evening classes, eventually University and seven years later Richard got his degree.

The Provincial then in office called him in and said “I want you to go and teach religious education”. Around that time he also joined the Territorial Army and became a Chaplain.

Fate decreed that he became a lecturer at Mary Ward Teacher Training College at Nottingham which lasted until the College closed in 1975.

Richard found that his vocation lay not in giving retreats and missions, as he had thought in his early years when studying for the priesthood, but in guiding and helping those in full time further education.

His next challenge was as Chaplain to Aston University and Birmingham Polytechnic, looking after some 17,000 students, a massive change to the hundreds at Mary Ward College. Around this time he got his Master’s degree in Counselling and was delighted to be able to lecture on this subject. Trouble was, no budget for a salary, so Richard was paid in book tokens which helped him build up a good library.

After five years Richard entered parish life, first at Borough in London and then Ystradgylais in Wales where he almost burnt the church down! In recent years he had been parish priest at Chew Magna, Somerset, a parish in the Clifton Diocese.

Whilst on a visit to a former student in Hong Kong he was undecided about an opportunity to go to Keele University as Chaplain. “I saw this picture out there, and below a ship it said – a ship in harbour is very safe but that is not what ships are for” and that decided me to go for the Keele job.”

During his time at Keele he was elected Provincial of his order and then came a drama which saw him almost depart this life. He was diagnosed with serious heart problems and had major surgery at Newcastle under Lyme Royal Infirmary.

He portrayed a remarkable talent for relating to his fellow men and women. Whether in the Army, Civvy Street, Parishes or University, he achieved a rapport with those he served which made him a popular figure in each task which he undertook.

Known to friends as Father Ted of the West Country, Father Richard Sullivan SDS died on 28 July 2007. Although he had not been well for some considerable time, he was only recently diagnosed with a large cancerous tumour in his colon which was unable to be removed.

Father Richard had remained a very vigorous and energetic parish priest, despite his declining health, and it was his hope to retire from parish work at the end of July and continue with a second book. God had other plans for him, and after nearly seven weeks at home, he died with a priest in his presence, praying for him.

David Burke
Useful URL : http://www.sds.org