In Pace Christi

Fr. Alan McGinty, whose sudden and unexpected death has been a great shock and loss to the London Province and the Institute, died on April 11^th 2001 at just thirty-five years of age. In going through Fr. Alan’s personal effects after his tragic death, I found the following hand-written quotation in his well-worn bible:

The question is not

    Shall we die?

or How shall we die?

or When shall we die?

or Where shall we die?

But how shall we live?

It is, then, to the gift of the life of Fr. Alan Dominic McGinty that we turn.

Fr. Alan's first years

Fr. Alan was born in 1966 in Irvine, a small town in the West of Scotland, the youngest of James and Cynthia McGinty’s five children. Shortly after Alan’s birth the family moved to the town of Largs on the Ayrshire coast and it was here that Alan spent his childhood.

The McGinty family were soon deeply involved in the life of their new parish of St. Mary’s and it was only natural that the young Alan should follow the example of his brother Colin and become an altar-server there. It was as a result of a visit to his primary school by Fr. Luciano Fulvi that Alan first became interested in the missionary ideal, and a later meeting with Fr. Stan Woods resulted in his applying to join our junior seminary at Mirfield in Yorkshire (England) in order to begin training for the priesthood.

The years in the junior seminary - firstly in Mirfield for his O-Levels and then in Ardrossan (Scotland) for his Highers - passed quickly and in 1984 Alan applied to join the postulancy. He was accepted - the only one in his year - and he took up residence in Rickmansworth, and then Stanmore, from where he travelled daily to the Missionary Institute London for his studies in Philosophy.

His time in Italy

In 1986, having completed the postulancy successfully and being the only candidate in the London province to be going on for the novitiate, Alan was assigned to Venegono. Before joining his fellow novices, however, Alan was sent to Florence to learn Italian. With a new language, a new culture, a new chapter in his life about to begin and the lone representative of the London Province, Alan was facing a fairly daunting challenge. It was during his time in Florence that Alan first began to suffer quite serious health problems with his digestive tract, difficulties that were to stay with him right up to the moment of his untimely death. Such problems required from him an even greater effort, not least because he always enjoyed good food and Italian cuisine in particular!

Back in the London province

With his natural resilience, and a deep spirit of faith, Alan took all this in his stride and after two years he returned to St. Mary’s in Largs to make his first profession and dedicate his life to the missions. As we shall see, Alan’s connection with his home parish was always an important element in his understanding of his own vocation.

At the end of the novitiate Alan opted to undertake his theological studies in Nairobi. His dream of going to Africa, however, was not to be fulfilled so soon. He was assigned to the scholasticate of Elstree. The main reason behind this assignment was Elstree’s not unreasonable desire to have at least one native English speaker in their midst. Overcoming his own stated preference, and at no small cost, Alan willingly agreed.

His first taste of Africa

In 1989, during his theological studies, Alan was permitted - in recognition of his previous openness to the bidding of the superiors - to spend his summer holidays helping out in Witbank, one of our communities in South Africa, during the difficult days of Apartheid. Alan’s youthful enthusiasm made a great impression on all who came in contact with him and right from the start his commitment to the missionary ideal, first encountered as a wee boy in Western Scotland, became a fact and the pivot of his life. Alan lost his heart to South Africa and this was to remain his first and greatest love.

Youth ministry in the London province

Alan returned to the London Province a changed man. It was not long before his talents and gifts were being harnessed by Fr. John Clark in the field of Youth Ministry. Members of the Vocations Team at the time were struck by Alan’s immediate rapport with young people, how easily he put them at their ease and how contagious his enthusiasm for all things missionary was. A highlight of the time was when he preached at the conclusion of a Youth Mission Week in the diocese of Menevia, and was publicly congratulated by the bishop for his thoughtful and inspiring words.

Theological studies at the Missionary Institute London were, however, Alan’s priority and he graduated in 1992 with a STB/MA magna cum laude.

Back in South Africa

His perpetual profession took place some two years later - two years during which he had returned to South Africa and thrown himself wholeheartedly into the tasks assigned him in the parish of Nhlazatshe-Elukwatini. At this time Alan considered himself very fortunate in being guided and supported by Fr. Mariano Pérez González and Fr. Alfonso Medina Delgado. With their encouragement, Alan studied the Zulu and Swazi cultures and languages - clicks and all - and discovered that he had a gift for pastoral work, particularly for the liturgy and youth work. Indeed, he exuded such zeal that Fr. Robert Hicks - his then provincial superior - in replying to Alan’s request for admission to the perpetual vows wrote back to him, “After reading the reports from our confreres in South Africa, I do not know whether to recommend you for perpetual profession or for beatification!”

Alan was ordained deacon in the parish of Elukwatini on March 19^th 1994 and was later ordained to the priesthood on November 12^th 1994 in St. Mary’s, Largs - the first and only ordination that the parish has known. The great number of old friends who joined the confreres and the family of Alan on that happy occasion spoke volumes for his innate ability to create lasting friendships. The day was made doubly joyful since Alan had also been informed that he was to return to South Africa where he had been assigned by the General Council. His immense pleasure was obvious to all.

Fr. Alan worked in the province of South Africa for some eight years, firstly as a student (1992-1994) and then as a priest (1994-2000). His work included responsibilities in a large mission (5,000 square miles and 100,000 people), thereafter in the then racially-divided parish of Nelspruit (with five hundred baptisms a year!), and latterly as the formator in the postulancy of Lynnwood Ridge (Pretoria).

There were, of course, moments when things were tough. In one year alone his community in Lynnwood Ridge was burgled a total of six times, and during his eight years in South Africa Fr. Alan was mugged at gun-point on four separate occasions. But there were also moments of great satisfaction, none more so than when local Christian communities came together to pray in the parish church or when candidates from the postulancy were accepted for the novitiate.

A hard worker

Fr. Alan was a hard worker and willing to take on any job that needed doing. He was not one to shy away from the work of distributing food to the endless lines of the poor and needy. Neither was he loathe to sort out the community’s accounts when called upon to do so. He had no problems with getting his hands dirty either: cooking or cleaning, gardening or mowing the grass, painting and decorating, whatever was needed.

Fr. Alan was orderly and methodical, energetic and enthusiastic but also thoughtful and attentive to others. Among his priestly duties Fr. Alan particularly enjoyed celebrating the Eucharist to which he brought his natural creativity and insight.

His health, however, was always problematic particularly in regard to his digestive system, which caused alternating (and debilitating) bouts of nausea and diarrhoea. While in South Africa he also suffered the occasional attack of malaria - an occupational hazard for all of the confreres - that accounted in part for periods of energy-loss, that in turn necessitated medication, that in turn disturbed his digestive system.

In Glasgow

Fr. Alan was called back for service in the London province in December 2000 and was to have worked in the field of vocation promotion and missionary animation at our community in Carmyle (Glasgow). Apart from the continuing ill-health, Fr. Alan’s return home after eight years away presented its own problems. Fr. Alan’s heart was still in South Africa and the adaptation needed to get back into the swing of things in a country which had changed so much since he had left it required no little effort. Once again, though, Fr. Alan put his faith in God and gradually was making the necessary adjustments. It was just as things were panning out that disaster struck. A disaster that shattered many plans but surely not the plans of the Almighty.

Fr. Alan died as a result of a freak accident in our house in Carmyle. Late in the evening of April 10^th, after the community had retired for the night, Fr. Alan fell in his room and struck his head against the edge of his desk. As he lay unconscious, the injury to his scalp continued to bleed profusely. Fr. Alan appears to have at least momentarily regained consciousness but was unsuccessful in his attempts to summon assistance as a result of the excessive loss of blood. When Fr. Alan failed to appear for Lauds the following morning, Fr. Francesco Chemello went to the room and was shocked to find him lying dead.

The shock and disbelief following the news of Fr. Alan’s death was profound. His parents and family, the confreres of the London Province, the people of his home parish, the confreres in South Africa and so many other friends both inside and outside the Institute all hoped that there had been some terrible mistake.

The last farewell

Fr. Alan McGinty’s funeral took place at his home parish of St. Mary’s, Largs on April 25^th 2001. It was attended by his dear parents, Cynthia and James, his sisters Bernadette, Gillian and Colette, his brother Colin, cardinal Winning of Glasgow, bishop Maurice Taylor of Galloway and some thirty other concelebrants. The homily was preached by Fr. Robert Hicks, his former rector and provincial superior. Further Masses were celebrated in South Africa in the communities and parishes where Fr. Alan had worked. The over-riding message in the midst of such great sorrow and grief was a heart-felt thank-you to Cynthia and James McGinty for the gift of a wonderful son.

St. Mary's home parish

Throughout Fr. Alan’s life it is remarkable how often the parish of St. Mary’s, Largs appears: he served on the altar there, he first encountered the missionary ideal there, he made his first vows there, he was ordained to the priesthood there and he was finally laid to rest there. That St. Mary’s should feature so prominently in his life was important to Fr. Alan. At the time of his ordination he expressed the reason why he felt it right to take St. Mary’s with him wherever he might go: “Such a vocation comes from the faith of the community. Therefore I give thanks for the faith I have received from my parents and you my brothers and sisters, the believing community”. Fr. Alan was immensely grateful that his parents and St. Mary’s had given him the chance to love South Africa and its peoples.

The question is: How shall we live?

The death of any confrere is a sad event. Paradoxically it is also a moment of privilege because we are given the opportunity to look back over the life of our brother who has died and recognize in that same brother the presence of God. Fr. Alan McGinty with all his gifts and imperfections, with all his victories and failures, was essentially a man of great faith, deep commitment, subtle sensitivities, and a big, big heart. It is that heart, that vote for life, for which Fr. Alan will most be remembered.

Fr. Alan’s own life answers the question he posed to himself: …But how shall we live? He lived his life with a generous and open heart and found the courage to do so because as a missionary called to serve the Kingdom, he was wholly committed to the generosity and openness of the Heart of Christ.              Fr. Martin James Devenish, mccj

Il mercoledì mattina dell’11 aprile, P. Alan non si fece vivo per le Lodi con gli altri confratelli della nostra casa di Glasgow. Siccome era un paio di giorni che non stava bene, P. Francesco Chemello andò a bussare ripetutamente alla sua stanza. Non ricevendo alcuna riposta, aprì la porta della stanza e trovò P. Alan inginocchiato per terra e mezzo accasciato sul letto. Avvicinatosi vide che c’era tanto sangue sul letto e constatò che P. Alan era morto.

Dopo il primo esame del corpo, si arrivò alla conclusione che durante la notte P. Alan era inciampato e cadendo aveva sbattuto violentemente la nuca contro uno spigolo della sua scrivania, procurandosi una profonda ferita. Sembra che abbia perso coscienza, mentre la ferita continuava a sanguinare. Ad un certo punto ha probabilmente tentato di alzarsi per chiamare aiuto, ma ha potuto solo accasciarsi sul letto e morire.

P. Alan era nato il 31 marzo 1966 ad Irvine nella diocesi di Galloway (Scozia). I suoi genitori vivono a Largs (Ayshire) in Scozia sull’oceano Atlantico. Dopo il postulato a Londra frequentò il noviziato a Venegono Superiore dal 1986 al 1988, poi andò a Elstree per lo scolasticato. Nel 1992 chiese di fare un’esperienza pastorale in una nostra comunità del Sudafrica e fu mandato nella parrocchia di Elukwatini, dove imparò bene la lingua locale e si distinse per il suo lavoro catechetico tra i giovani. Il 15 marzo 1994 fece i voti perpetui a Silverton e pochi giorni dopo fu ordinato diacono nella chiesa parrocchiale di Elukwatini. Dopo alcuni mesi ritornò a Largs, dove fu ordinato sacerdote il 12 novembre 1994.

Ritornato in Sudafrica, fu vice parroco a Nelspruit fino alla fine di marzo 1996. Fu poi nominato formatore del postulato di Lynnwood Ridge (Pretoria), svolgendo il lavoro con passione fino al giugno del 2000, quando fu richiamato nella London Province per l’animazione missionaria e assegnato alla comunità di Glasgow. In patria si era messo subito a visitare parrocchie e a mantenere i contatti con i numerosi benefattori scozzesi dei Comboniani. E lì lo colse la morte a 35 anni di età. Una grave perdita per i suoi genitori, per la London Province e per tutti noi Comboniani.

Da Mccj Bulletin n. 214 suppl. In Memoriam, aprile 2002, pp., 1-6