The Archdiocese of Glasgow said farewell on 10th July to Fr. Charles Kane, retired parish priest and latterly chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor Robroyston, who died on 27 June at the age of 87 two days short of the 62nd anniversary of his ordination. His funeral Mass took place in Our Holy Redeemer parish, Clydebank, where the principal celebrant, Archbishop Emeritus Conti was joined by many of Fr. Kane’s brother priests, his extended family, parishioners and members of the Diocesan choir The St.Mungo Singers, of which Fr.Kane had once been a member.
Fr. Kane had a deep love of music as well as a lovely singing voice, and the music of the Mass reflected this, ranging from plainchant (including the Requiem Aeternam) through classically based choral hymns to more modern liturgical music, finishing with the beautiful “I Cannot tell “ which is set to the music of the Londonderry Air.
In his homily, Archbishop Conti began his reflection with a reference to the words of the psalm chosen for the Mass Ps. 26 “One thing I ask of the Lord, to live with Him for evermore”. This would surely express the wishes of Fr. Charles who was ordained in St.Mary’s Calton by Archbishop Donald Campbell and who throughout his ministry had been known as a gentle pastor, a man of simplicity and straightforwardness. In the words of another psalm, Fr. Charles had hoped in the Lord and held firm – this was the life he had lived and the hope he had cherished.
