Dom Antony Tumelty

Abbot Paul Stonham • July 6, 2018

Fr Antony Tumelty died on 27th August 2017, in his 64th year. He had been professed as a monk of Belmont for 43 years andordained a priest for 37 years.

When Dom Antony Tumelty died at the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth on the afternoon of 27th August 2017, he was only 63 years’ old. He had suffered with cancer for a long time and had fought valiantly against ill health. We are deeply indebted to the staff at Velindre Cancer Hospital, Cardiff, and to his brother John for the wonderful care given to Fr Antony in the last three years of his life.

Peter Tumelty was born in Cardiff on 21st April 1954, the younger son of John and Isabella Tumelty, and was educated at St Illtyd’s College, taking a great interest in dramatic arts. He came to Belmont in 1974, being clothed on 28th September, together with Br Francis McKenna. They was solemnly professed by Abbot Jerome Hodkinson on 29th September 1978, studied for the Priesthood at Allen Hall in London and were ordained together on 21st March 1980. They are now buried together at Belmont.

Fr Antony studied Drama at the Welsh School of Music and Drama and was both a great actor and a successful director of plays and musicals. He was the much-loved Housemaster of Vaughan until the closure of the school in 1994, when he moved to St Francis Xavier, Hereford, as assistant to Fr Christopher Jenkins. Not long afterwards, his health deteriorated. After prolonged treatment in and out of hospital, he was appointed Chaplain to the Poor Clares at Much Birch, where the nuns made a small flat for him in the guesthouse. He also served as Chaplain to the Armed Forces in Herefordshire for 10 years.

He was much sought after as a confessor and had a particular empathy for those suffering bereavement. He grew to love the Extraordinary Rite of the Mass and celebrated it as often as he could, encouraging others to do the same. He had a rare wit and was always entertaining, even when feeling very unwell. Until the last few weeks of his life, his acting skills, devilish sense of humour and deep love for others helped him camouflage his suffering and pain. He accepted God’s will with exemplary faith, courage and humility. Requiescat in pace.

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Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
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