News Item: : Canon Gerard Wharton - Requiescat in Pace
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Thursday 23 February 2017 - 16:34:39

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Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Canon Gerard Wharton, whose funeral and burial took place this morning.

Fr. Gerry is known to many Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Liverpool, due to his dedicated service as chaplain to the annual Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, between the years of 1986 and 2001. 

Following his ordination at St. Joseph's seminary at Upholland in 1957, Fr. Gerry had served as both assistant and parish priest at a number of well-known parishes across the Archdiocese.

He was made an honorary canon in 1992, and served as a Canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter from 1998 - 2016. During his Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2007, he was also made a Canon of the Shrine of Lourdes.

From 2006 - 2012, he served as chaplain to the sisters and community at Nazareth House in Crosby. A local man, who had been born in Seaforth and educated in Waterloo, Canon Wharton's funeral took place this morning at St. Edmund's in Waterloo; followed by burial at Ss Peter and Paul in Crosby.

The official Archdiocesan obituary relates that, in earlier years, Canon Wharton had inspired many seminarians who had spent their placements with him, due to his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady, as well as the way he lived his life as a priest.

I encountered Canon Wharton, or ''Fr. Gerry'' as he preferred, a number of times in Lourdes in the late 1990's. I remember that, at a time when some priests were going over to Lourdes in bright t-shirts (and even shorts), he was always smartly dressed in his black clerical suit and collar.

He always seemed to me to be a gentle, humble and kindly priest, who took an interest in other people and their needs. At the same time, he was very down-to-earth and prepared to ''muck-in'' with everyone else. 

Several years ago, Angie and I were encouraged when we visited Nazareth House and heard Fr. Gerry defending true marriage; and calling on all who were present in the chapel of the Sisters of Nazareth to both pray and stand up for this important intention. Early in 2013, Canon Wharton was one of the priests who signed the letter to MPs and The Telegraph, defending natural marriage between one man and one woman, and calling for the proposed same-sex ''marriage'' laws to be rejected.  

Fr. Gerry died on 12th February at the age of 86. It was just one day after the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, in his 60th year of priesthood. May he rest in Christ's peace.

Eternal rest, grant unto Fr. Gerry dear Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him, and may he rest in peace. Amen.



This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1561 )