The Revd Canon John Bernard Whelan

I would just like to record here some facts about my dear Friend, The Reverend Canon John Bernard Whelan who died on this day a year ago.

Notice from The Venerable T.W. Pritchard
I am sorry to inform you that Father Whelan died on Monday 3rd April, at the age of eighty-eight years. He died peacefully, after a long illness, at 22, Westminster Rhiwlas Nursing Home, Northop Road, Flint, CH6 5LH.

The arrangements for his funeral are these:
A funeral service, with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist, at St. Mary's Parish Church, Mold, on Tuesday 18th April, at 10 a.m.
Burial in the Churchyard of St. Melangell, Pennant Melangell, Llangynog, Powys, probably about 12.30 p.m.
There are no Flowers. Donations for the Melangell Centre, and any other enquiries may be addressed to
H. J. Williams, Haranfa, Cymau Road, Cymau, Caergwrle, Flintshire. Telephone: (01978) 760200.

Father Whelan retired to live in Hawarden about six or seven years ago. He had known Hawarden for several years since his ministry in Manchester, being a frequent visitor to St. Deiniol's Residential Library. He used the Library every day in his retirement, he had his lunch and evening meal there, and used the Chapel. Through the Library he made many friends from all over the world with whom he corresponded. He was a great walker and spent many happy hours in Hawarden Park, as well as in the historic City of Chester; he loved wandering around there, and worshipped in the Cathedral.

Sadly this amiable existence came to an end just over three years ago. On two occasions Father Whelan fell and successively broke both his arms. This destroyed his confidence and impaired his health and from this time onwards he spent some time in hospital and received nursing care at home. The time came when he needed full time assistance. By the greatest of good fortune Rhiwlas Nursing Home Flint was chosen. Rhiwlas depends to some extent on overseas workers from both Africa and Europe. Father Whelan loved them all, and they loved him, and at times I'm sure he thought he was back in the Missionary Field. Although physically impaired, his mind was as sharp as ever. He used his radio, wouldn't have television, and was always ready for a religious discussion.

During his last years in Hawarden I knew him well, living next door to him, and I visited him almost daily, and took the Sacrament to him on Sundays. I learnt to admire his deep faith, spirituality, sense of humour, and austerity. I was always spellbound, once I managed to break through his reserve, of the stories he told of his life's experience, all with Irish wit, charm and a matter-of-factness which at times bordered on the incredulous. I know that he has friends the world over and this is not surprising for the love and kindness he gave to them all in such a long and fruitful Christian life. He was sustained in his later years in Hawarden by two young friends to whom he was absolutely devoted and who gave him loving care, Neslihan Senocak, and Gregory Morris.

The following sermon was preached at his funeral which was held at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Mold on 18th April, 2006

We meet this morning to celebrate the life of John Bernard Whelan - to thank God for the privilege of his friendship and priestly ministry - and to entrust him with faith and hope in everlasting life, to the love and mercy of our heavenly Father.

John’s final resting-place will be at Pennant Melangell churchyard in northern Powys, in the shadow of the Church and its Romanesque shrine to the honour of Melangell an eighth century Irish Saint. Here John wished to be buried in the solitude of this beautiful valley much visited by pilgrims. An ancient sanctuary of Celtic sanctity.

‘Keep me as an apple of your eye Hide me under the shadow of your wings,

Most of us here this morning only knew John during the last years of his life. When we first met him, in these later years, we probably saw him as he wanted us to see him, the consummate actor he was, as an old man wearily shuffling off his mortal coil, in the quietness of St. Deiniol’s Library. Here he spent his time meticulously recording in his notebook the names of Clergy whose deaths appeared in the Church Times. Although he might have told us he was waiting to die, yet he was full of life. This apparently frail old man was as tough as old army boots.

In the Common Room and Dining Room at St. Deiniol’s, John’s quiet bearing attracted both old and young alike. They saw the glint of humour in his eye, they heard the gentle lilt of his soft Irish accent commenting on the vagaries of human existence, with a brevity and wit that Dean Swift would have been proud of But above all they recognised him as a man of integrity and holiness, who cared not for the world’s values, deeply rooted as he was in a spirituality which attracted them more and more. If at first they noticed his fragility they soon learnt to admire his interior stillness and were intrigued by the mystery of his spiritual life.

He never deliberately revealed or talked about himself Gradually I learnt something of his life. What I tell you this morning is distilled from endless conversations I had with him when I used to pop in to see him most evenings at about six o’clock. He would be in his chair — sometimes dozing with a book on his lap — and by his side, his Office Book, Lectionary, Bible and a volume of poetry.

What about his life? John was born in Bury in 1917 where his grandfather Seddon was a Publican. His father was a Southern Irishman from Port Laoise where John was taken soon after the Great War. His father left his mother in 1924 and they never saw him again. John was a bright and studious child, the family lived on a farm, and John learnt Irish, was brought up as a Protestant, and eventually worked in a Christian School in Dublin before he returned to the mainland. In 1937 or 1938 he came to study at Oakhill Theological College, London, affiliated to Durham University, from which he received a Diploma in 1941.

His pilgrimage was under way. Some time early on he became a Tractarian. When he joined the British Army in 1942 he had both his Bible and Prayer Book in his knapsack and took them with him to the desert of Iraq. Here he refined his knowledge of the Scriptures through his linguistic ability and became familiar with the Orthodox and Roman Liturgies. After War Service he was Ordained to a title at Ambleside and Rydal in the diocese of Carlisle, later moving to Barrow-in-Furness, from whence he offered himself to the Anglican Mission in Korea in 1954. John quickly learned the language and eventually became Director of Education for the Seoul diocese. He retained his skill in the Korean language for the rest of his life, and in Malta, over thirty years later, John amazed a group of North Korean Diplomats, by addressing them fluently in their own tongue.

Eventually in 1967, exhausted from overwork, John returned to Britain, from Japan, via the Trans- Siberian Railway wearing a red shirt on the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. His mother died after his return, and John became a Curate in his hometown of Bury. In 1971 he began a ministry as a Chaplain to Hospitals in Manchester. To the hospital, students came on placement from St. Deiniol’s Library, which strengthened his links with the place, which eventually meant so much to him. When he retired in 1982 he served in the diocese of Europe for another stint of eleven years, first at Las Palmas, and then as assistant chaplain at Valleta with Sliema, and was a Canon of Malta Cathedral. Here he was presented to the late Pope John Paul II. The Protestant from Southern Ireland had come along way.

John was in the final decade of his life when he returned to Britain and settled in Hawarden where he had two or three active years before two falls destroyed his confidence and impaired his robust health. He was well looked after by carers who visited him at home and eventually by the staff of Rhiwlas who both respected and loved him.

Gregory and I were with him when he died peacefully on the 3rd of April. The last words he heard were:
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.

An obituary was published in Church Times by the kind permission of Clifford Smart. I post it here:

A PERSONAL MEMORY OF JOHN BERNARD WHELAN 1917-2006
By Clifford Smart
I first met John in April 1956. When I arrived in Korea on Easter Eve (March 31) of that year John was in the parish of Onsuri on Kanghwa Island, if not the cradle of Anglicanism in Korea. at least its nursery. He was delightfully eccentric and very Irish. On the first occasion that I spent a week end with him there I discovered that he always ate the same number of meals and collations each day whatever the timetable. On that particular Sunday, as was the custom in those days, we had breakfast after the main Mass of the day. Thus we were still at table when it was time for “elevenses” — coffee and biscuits. The hour of lunch being as unalterable as any law of the Medes and Persians we had hardly left the table before it was time to sit down again. That evening we were due to walk to the next village for Evensong and so it was imperative that we had the evening meal no later than 5.0 P.M. Nevertheless we were not allowed to forego afternoon tea!

John was a very frugal man and hated to be beholden to anyone. Wherever he traveled he always chose the cheapest of inns turning down hospitality in houses to do so. On one occasion he visited my house when I was not at home. The housekeeper recognizing him invited him in and offered him a meal. This was declined but he did ask for some drinking water. When this was produced he took out of his knapsack the food he was carrying, sat at my table and ate it. Afterwards, he wrote me a thank you note for my hospitality and despite the housekeepers entreaties took his leave. Later I learned that he had spent that night at a local doss house.

He should have had money for during the time he was receiving a good remuneration for his hospital chaplaincy work he never changed his Spartan ways. But he was generous. On one of my rare visits to England from Korea we met up in London and he accompanied me while I went shopping. This included a visit to Wippell’s where I methodically replenished my clerical wardrobe. When I came to pay, the man who was serving me informed me that the other gentleman had already paid. Despite my protestations John would accept nothing from me.

John was very self-sufficient, a loner and was thus able to escape any involvement in Korea ecclesiastical politics. He therefore led a much quieter and more stress free life than did the rest of us.

During the 50 years that we knew each other I never learned much about his personal life. I knew that he had been in Ireland before the Independence of the 26 counties in 1921 and that he and his mother had moved to England in the 1930’s but little more. Some three years ago when I telephoned him and told him of the very pleasant visit my wife and I had just made to Dublin he told me that he hated the place and that his life there had been very unhappy. Again, just as I thought he was opening up the door closed.

He had a very dry sense of humour which did not always come across as humour. On one occasion he wrote from Korea to his mother telling her that winter was approaching and that Korean mothers were about to sew up their children in their winter clothes until spring. Mrs Whelan —her first name floats about at the back of my mind — was appalled at this unhygienic practice and reported it to the local newspaper which published it as a fact. The Korean Embassy in London was not amused at this derogatory and untrue publicity.
John had a first class brain and had read and retained so much but he kept it all in his head. At least in Korea, he never had many books around and as far as I know he kept no notes.

He was a strange mix of extreme low-churchmanship and Catholicism. He was a product of Oak
Hill Theological College and Anglo-Catholicism. He had been baptized and Confirmed in the
Roman Catholic Church in Ireland and I never learned how or why he became an Anglican. I
know he always denied to me that he had ever been a member of the Church of Ireland.

After he had left the orient he would write and describe the great find on his latest journey. On one occasion he wrote triumphantly that he had discovered a Korean restaurant in Katmandu and that the owner, a Nepalese had gained his knowledge of Korean cuisine from a book. He loved to return to North Africa where he had spent time as a “desert rat”. He was a motorcycle dispatch rider. I suspect that he had some military decorations but apart from the 3 9-45 Star, Defense Medal and the North Africa Star I don’t know what they were. Also during his military service he told me that he had met the Samaritan High Priest in the Holy Land. Lie did have some pamphlets in English on that group. Up to that time I had not realized that they existed.

I do hope that someone will write a proper biography or even a lengthy obituary of John. He certainly deserves it and the world would profit by it. I hope also that he has an executor who will comb through carefully what little he left so that we may learn more about him.

I am glad that I had the opportunity to know him. His death is tinged with only a little sadness knowing what a full life he lived and how much good he did all in secret.



Clifford Smart

Easter Eve
April 15, 2006

Melangell, the new treble bell at Mold: An Historical Note

On 30th January 2005, The Revd Canon John B Whelan wrote to Peter Meurig Jones the treasurer at Mold Church with a request to have a bell founded and cast for the augmentation which had recently been proposed.

The initial condition was to have the text from Song of Song 2:12 “The sound of the turtle dove is heard in our land”. The Venerable T.W. Pritchard was to be adviser on other inscriptions and design matters.

It was decided that the bell should be called Melangell. John Whelan had enjoyed a few trips out to Pennant Melangell since returning to live in the UK in 2000 and after a numinous experience at a service at St Melangell’s Church where Diogenes Allen and the Venerable T W Pritchard were celebrating the Eucharist, he had expressed a wish to be buried there.

Both the turtle dove and the Melangell Hare presented themselves as obvious icons for the bell. The dove shape was taken from a wooden dove pendant which hanged in John’s room at Rhiwlas nursing home. The outline image of the leaping hare was inspired by Colin See-Paynton’s drawing on the cover of a book of Poems about Melangell edited by Anne Cluysenaar and Norman Schwenk, “The Hare that Hides Within”. The mould design was completed by Eijsbouts of Asten, the founders of the new bells for Mold.

It also seemed appropriate for the bell’s inscriptions to be in Welsh. The Song of Songs text was taken from Bishop Morgan’s translation “Clywyd Llais y Durtur yn ein Gwlad”

“Melangell yw fy enw” was the inscription on the main body of the bell which translates “Melangell is my name”

The dedication inscription was Fe’m Rhoddwyd gan John Whelan 2005 Fe’m Gwnaethpwyd gan Eijsbouts yn Asten being John Whelan Gave me 2005 Eijsbouts of Asten made me

It is believed that this is the first bell to be hung for change ringing in a North Wales tower whose inscriptions are wholly in Welsh. The new bells at Llanbadarn Fawr are quite possibly the first in Wales to be so cast.

Advice on the wording of the treble was kindly given by The Revd Patrick Thomas of Carmarthen. Rhidian Griffiths, Keeper of Printed Books at the National Library in Aberystwyth gave us invaluable advice on Welsh lexicography and looked over the final wording and spelling of both the treble and tenor before the bells were cast and founded.

Some extra background should be recorded here. John had a very close friend Neslihan Senocak from Turkey whom he met in 2000 at St Deiniol’s Library when she was doing research on the Franciscans. He remained devoted to her and corresponded frequently with her as long as he was able. He always described her as his Little Turtle Dove hence the desire when the opportunity arose to commemorate their friendship in this way.

Gregory Morris represented John at the casting of the bells in Holland. He took the video recording of the event to John who was thrilled to watch the process. John’s Christmas card for 2005 was a picture of the bell Melangell taken at Taylor’s works prior to shipment to Mold. The bells were brought up to Rhiwlas nursing home en route to Mold and John, though very ill, was able to get out and see them on the trailer.

The new bells first sounded out on Friday 16th December, all very tuneable and sound.

Weight of the bell 3cwt 2qtr 16lbs, Diameter 24” Note A
Nominal Frequency 1751 Hz
John Bernard Whelan died on 3rd April 2006. The funeral service was held at Mold on 18th April and he was buried at Pennant Melangell the same day. Having no family he was borne to his rest by the ringers at Mold. The treble bell rang out as the hearse departed for Pennant Melangell.

An obituary was published in the Church Times on 12th May 2006, p.32 .

A Quarter Peal was rung by members of the North Wales Association on the day of his death.
Hawarden, Flintshire
St Deiniol
Monday, 3 April 2006 in 47 mins (12 cwt)
1260 Stedman Doubles

1. Gregory Morris
2. Ann C Bennett
3. Timmy Mallett
4. John R. Williams
5. Neil Bennett (c)
6. Andrew Hardiman


Rung in thanksgiving for the life of Canon John Bernard Whelan of this parish who died today aged 88.

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require: even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple." Ps 27:4

On the eve of his funeral eucharist at Mold Church, the body was received into the Church and a Quarter Peal was rung on the bells.

Mold, Flintshire
St Mary the Virgin
Monday, 17 April 2006 in 48 mins (10-1-6)
1260 Grandsire Triples

1. Kyle Ellis
2. Maryan Jenner
3. Elspeth Parry
4. Gregory Morris
5. Herbert Heaton
6. John R. Williams
7. Roger Howes (c)
8. Fred Miers

Rung for the receiving of the body of John Bernard Whelan into the church on the eve of his funeral here at Mold and burial at Pennant Melangell.

From John Whelan's Papers, I have extracted the following information:

John B Whelan

Genealogical information

Born –12 Oct 1917, Bury
Died 03-Apr-2006 Rhiwlas Nursing Home, Flint Buried at Pennant Melangell, Montgomeryshire (18 April 06)

Father
Patrick Joseph Whelan
Born c.1883
Died 15-Apr-1948 at Dysart, Co. Laoise. Death registered 1st Feb 1949 by Christina Doyle, niece. Occupation given as Labourer.

Mother
Lena Whelan
b. Lena Seddon 28-Mar-1887 at 22 Devon Street, Bury, Lancs
d. Fairfields Hospital, Bury 24th October 1967. Buried in Bury Cemetery October 27th. Address. 56 Tarn Drive, Bury.
m. Patrick Whelan at St Marie’s Catholic Church, Bury 7-???-1916 Officiant Fr William Browne witness John Sumner

Grandparents Maternal
Thomas Seddon Occupation: Locomotive Driver 1901 Census/ Labourer on 1917 Wedding Certificate Address, 1901 Census 92 Nelson Street, Bury ; 1917 Fishpool Liberal Club House
b. c1858 (1901 Census gives age as 43 years)
married 1) Alice Taylor
2) Martha (b. circa 1865 acc to 1901 census)
3) Mary Ashworth (b. c.1852) Sept 15th 1917 at St Peter’s Parish Church, Bury (residing at 54 Brierley Street)
dtr of Kay Ashworth b. 1859 d. pre 1917. Witnesses J. Oldham and Margaret Oldham (Living next door in the 1901 Census)

He was the son of Thomas Seddon died pre 1901 census).

Grandparents Paternal
(Patrick?) William Whelan probably of Dysart, Co. Laois. In 1922 he owned a farm in Dysart. He had 3 sons, John, Michael and Patrick Joseph, 2 daughters Ella or Helen and Anne. John took over the farm on his father’s death and lived at the farm with Michael and Ellen. None of them married. Anne married a Doyle and went to live at Lamberton Lodge. Anne had 2 children at least, William Doyle and Christina Doyle who lived possibly at the farm with Patrick Joseph.

Baptised: St Marie's Roman Catholic Church, Bury, Lancs, 4th November 1917

According to a Bury local newspaper, the Whelans moved from Fishpool Liberal Club in 1921 and went to live in Ireland where Mrs Whelan opened a small drapery shop. Hard times hit them and they found themselves without house money or furniture. His father walked out on them in 1924 and never supported them after that. They lived at The Kennells, Port Laoise, County Laois

Confirmed: Church of Ss Peter & Paul, Portlaois, June 1930, by the RC Bishop of Kildare & Leiglin

Education
1927-1931: Christian Brothers' Primary School, Portlaois
1931-1936: Christian Brothers' Secondary School, Portlaois
1936-1938: Teacher for the Irish Church Missions, Dublin (Protestant Missionary Society)

His Father’s Occupation in Oak Hill Records: Milliner – obviously ref to his mother.

Enough was saved to send John to Oakhill training college Southgate where he applied in 1938. He passed the general ordination examinations in June 1939 & March 1940. He was awarded a Licentiate in Theology by the University of Durham 13th December 1941.

His mother Lena returned to the UK in September 1939.

John joined the 14/20 Hussars as a dispatch rider in 27th March 1942 and saw action in Africa, Italy and Germany and was finally left the Army in 1947. He was awarded the Africa … medal on 2nd Oct 1944

After the war he returned to Oakhill for a refresher course and was ordained at St Mary’s Parish Church Ambleside as deacon on 21st Sept 1947 & on Sunday 26th Sept 1948 at Carlisle Cathedral he was ordained Priest and the same day appointed curate of Ambleside and Rydal.

21st February 1950 appointed Curate at St. Luke, Barrow in Furness

Responded to the call to Mission in Korea

Resident in Korea by 1954 according to Police Certificate dated 23-Nov-1960
1957 on Kangwha
Left Korea in June 1959
Parishes served: Chong-Dong, Sodaemun-Ku, Soeul and Onsu-ri, Kilsang-myson, Kangwha-gun, and Kyonggido.
Returned home due to ill health c. December 1959 according to letter from Geoffrey Fisher. Was living till May 1960 at Christ Church Vicarage Erith, Kent and offered work by the Bishop of Carlisle.
October 1960 living at The Parish House, Venn Street, Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
Language training completed by 15-Jun-1961
1962 Appointed Director of Christian Education for the Seoul Diocese
Report home to SPG – Aug-Nov 1962 dated 27 November, Seoul Korea
14-Apr-1964 Address given as Anglican Church 3 Chong Dong, Seoul, Korea
Dec 1965 address given as Alverna House, Charminster Road, Bournemouth

01-Apr-1967 to 30-Jun-1967 employed as a part time English teacher in Japan. He lived at 1-33 Naka Machi, Hiroshima

23rd Oct, 1968, appointed stipendary curate in the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bury.