I'm very sad to hear the news about Fr. Chris. …
I liked him very much; he spoke to my soul.

Gerry Williger

Fr. Chris received me into the Church in March 1987 — what can I say? I will never forget the clarity, intelligence and sympathy with which he introduced me to the Faith. He was so gifted and I admired and respected him enormously, as I know that you did too.

Samantha Rhydderch

I was sad to hear the news of Chris's death. He was a real character, a man of great faith and generosity. You couldn't fail to respect him - even though I didn't always agree with him! The number of vocations to priesthood and religious life that came from Fisher House in his time is one measure of the good work he did.

Fr Andy Downie

I think you summed it up well — the end of an era. While I was saddened to read the news it made me think back to many happy moments at Fisher House. Reminiscing about it just brought home to me again what an impact those years and the friends I made at FH have had on my life. A real blessing.

Sabine Lee (née Huth)

Thank you for informing me of the death of Fr. Chris. He has been one of the major influences in the way I see Catholicism, although I did not agree with him in a few points. God bless him.

José Manuel Gutiérrez Díez

What can I say? So many memories …
A brilliant preacher — especially when he tucked his notes behind the lectionary, and spoke ex tempore, always beginning with the phrase "you see ..."
"If you want to be a priest, you've got to be prepared to move chairs and clean toilets."
"There's no such thing as a flib."
The "Banana."
His portrait — version 1 of course.
"What a shame you can't stay for dinner," after sherry, after chairs on Saturday evening.
A gentleman. A friend. THE Monk. Requiescat in pace.

Fr Stephen Dingley

I will never forget his:
constant encouragement
outrageous honesty
loyal friendship
passion for God
unique sermons
relentless search for truth
humorous challenges
those Saturday night dinners...

Sr M. Amadeus Bulger

I was only talking to our RS teacher at school yesterday about the Monday lunchtime sessions he used to give and how interesting they were … and the Sunday evening bar sessions of course! I'll never forget how excited he was when Monsignor Gilbey came to say Mass at the Chaplaincy …

Lee Hunter

While we knew Fr Chris at Cambridge his intelligent perspective on our faith, always argued energetically, was an inspiration and an example to us. We will always remember him as being a formative influence on us, and a nice chap too. May he rest in peace.

David and Suzanne Rampersad

I spent many a happy time at Cambridge in his company and owe him for many things, not least developing my taste for gin. Mass on Monday will be packed with people whose lives he touched and who are the richer for knowing him. Although I won't be there I will be in spirit and carry fond memories of a generous and talented friend.

Eileen Marner

This comes as a real shock to me, especially that I kept meaning to contact him. He made all the difference at Cambridge and I was drawn to him by his honesty and directness, and above all by a passion for the Church — his Monday lunchtime talks will not go forgotten, and I'm sure will have answered a lot of questions to young university Catholics, as well as future converts. They certainly helped me! Most of my friends will have heard me mention him at least once at some point, if ever asked to talk about my Cambridge days. I will light a candle for him as soon as I get to a church …

Tom Felici

I loved Chris for his humanity and will always recall his passion for burnt toast at Chaplaincy breakfasts. He baptised me, received me into the Church and taught me a lot about God, love and tolerance despite differences. I will miss him hugely. May he rest in peace.

Catherine Shelley

I was a student at Cambridge when Chris was there and have a great deal of respect and affection for him. As Chaplain he had the knack of allowing all kinds of groups to flourish at the Chaplaincy, and was a wise and kindly teacher. I don't think he ever stayed awake throughout any of the plays or films that we dragged him along to though!

I last saw him 3 years ago, and was startled to realise how quickly we students had grown up into teachers, parents and priests ourselves. I'm aware of his influence on us as we think about secondary education for our own children and so his legacy will go on for quite a while in all

Chris is smiling out of our photo album from an
uncharacteristically blue-skied garden party. I rather
like to visualise him doing much the same thing on a
permanent basis from now on. I suppose he will have to
frown occasionally too still.

Lucy Hartley (née Sheils)

I was really sorry to hear of Fr Chris dying. He was a great man, who really cared about us as people, and about teaching us because we were young and it was important that we got a third level education in our faith as well as in our chosen subjects at university. He was completely himself; utterly genuine, and for more than me I'm sure, a father figure.

I used to love having breakfast at Fisher House after morning prayer. He, being not a morning person, would drink coffee at the head of the table with the newspaper held up, supposedly ignoring our chatter. But every so often there's be a mock gruff "hurrumph" from behind the newspaper, in response to something silly we'd said deliberately trying, (or maybe not!) to provoke exactly that reaction.
And his sermons set one ablaze with delight in new understanding and clarity. Do you know if anyone has copies? I asked him to make them into a book several times. I would love to be able to read them again.

Alva O'Dalaigh

I remember well the conversations (and debates!) which I had with Fr. Chris in my first year at Cambridge, which turned out to be his last there. I learned to think in ways I never had before, not only about my faith but also about history (I was a history student). I was probably the last student at Cambridge who had had known him well (since I was a student there until 1993) and so on his rare returns to Cambridge he enjoyed chiding me, 'You're not still here, are you?'

His sparkling humour, penetrating mind and hospitality were all very important to the students at Fisher House and we shall all remember him with affection.

Daniel Power Selwyn College, 1987-93

"This evening I am off to a requiem mass, for the former chaplain of Fisher House, Fr Chris Jenkins, who died last week. He was partly responsible for my ultimate career. I left here to join the Treasury, but he would always urge me, 'Be a don', and thus sowed the seed which started to sprout a couple of years later when I came back to do a PhD. Otherwise I don't think it would have ever have occurred to me that this would be something I would like to do."

Richard Rex

Fr Chris preached a mean sermon at Cambridge. His annual questioning of the theological credentials of the Cambridge Intercollegiate Christian Union was the most notorious, but his other set-pieces, including his welcome and words of advice for new students, and his challenge to those seeking jobs in the milk round not to devote their lives to salary scales also stay with me. Over beer in the chaplaincy bar, or wine on other occasions, he would be controversial and provocative, but (as Lucy Hartley rightly says) he nurtured diversity of opinion and approach in the Chaplaincy. (Lucy also is right about his tendency to fall asleep during films.) His influence on my own intellectual approach to the Faith was profound; he will be remembered with fondness and respect by many.

Nicholas Whyte