Print Issue: April 11, 2002

A Man Of Humility, A Holy Priest And A Christian Gentleman

Father Paul A. Burke is a native of Loughrea, County Galway, and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, where he serves as a chaplain and teacher at Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fairburn.

By Father Paul A. Burke, Commentary

These days are very difficult ones for the Catholic Church, not only in the United States but also throughout the world. It seems that anytime we look at the news or take up a newspaper, the headlines are reporting one scandal after another. On Feb. 19, Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote: "In recent weeks our attention has again been turned to the issue of sexual abuse of minors by priests . . .On behalf of all of the bishops, our profound sorrow that some of our priests were responsible for this abuse under our watch." Individual bishops in their own dioceses have apologized to victims and their families. These words were echoed in our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II's Letter to Priests, in which he wrote: "At this time too, as priests, we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of Ordination . . . Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice." Our own Ordinary here in Atlanta, Archbishop John F. Donoghue, reminded the faithful that "the overwhelming majority of priests are dedicated, upright, self-sacrificing men, who have consecrated their lives to the service of others, who maintain their ministry with little remuneration or acclaim."

As we reflect on the history of the Catholic Church throughout the centuries, the Lord has always raised up men and women of great faith and integrity, even in the midst of the darkest moments. The danger is, however, as the media focuses on the sins of those who have betrayed their sacred vows, the memory of those who have lived and are living total and dedicated lives of service are forgotten. In this article, I would like to bear witness to one holy and faithful priest, the late Msgr. Louis Naughton, a man of humility, a holy priest and a Christian gentleman.

Last October, Msgr. Naughton was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The news came as a terrible shock to all of us who knew him. For me, his news raised the age-old questions of "What is the meaning of life?" and "If God is good, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world today?" Looking to God for an answer, I soon realized that the mystery of God is too great, and our minds are too small and too limited to understand His ways. Once Msgr. Naughton had come to terms with the gravity of the disease, he showed forth amazing courage as he prepared for the inevitability of death. It was a difficult time and, yet, a time of great grace for him and for all of us. He traveled back to Ireland, to the place of his birth, to say "goodbye" to his family and friends, and to the land he loved so well. And even in the midst of his suffering, he put others first. He called my own mother in Galway, just to say hello, to let her know that I was okay, and to say farewell. He was a Christian gentleman!

When he returned from Ireland, he was tired but very much at peace. His determined will inspired all of us. He agreed for a Mass of Healing to be celebrated for him on Jan. 17, 2002. The awesome privilege and daunting task was given to me to preach at this special occasion. It was an opportunity for all present to thank God for his generosity in responding to God's call to be a priest. It was also a time to ask the Lord for his comfort and consolation in the midst of a very difficult time. Mustering up all of the energy that he could, Msgr. Naughton sat quietly in the sanctuary, praying all the while, and then met with friends and well-wishers who came to pay their respects. A few days after the Mass, he thanked me for my homily and with a smile asked, "who were you preaching about?" He was a man of humility!

St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, once wrote, "A priest is above all, a man of prayer." Truly this was the life of Msgr. Naughton - the daily celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, even when it took all of his energy to be present, the praying of the Divine Office, and his great devotion to the Blessed Mother. During his illness, I had many opportunities to pray the Divine Office and other prayers with him. I always came away with a greater sense of faith and trust in God. In every waking moment, he called on the Lord to be with him, to stay with him as he received holy Communion and to forgive him the sins committed out of human weakness. And always at the end of prayer, he would ask for my priestly blessing. He was a holy priest!

On July 11, 1971, Msgr. Louis Naughton was ordained to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ. On that day, he was ordained a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. How many lives have been touched during those years? How many joys were celebrated and tears shed? In reflecting upon his life, his was a pilgrimage of faith - from those days in Galway in a local shop, to Dublin and Leeds to study the nuts and bolts of engineering, to Louvain where he prepared for his priestly ordination, to Washington, D.C., where he reflected upon the sacred statutes of Holy Mother Church, and finally, to Atlanta where he faithfully tended the Lord's flock.

Father Thomas Hennessy, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Griffin, receives a special blessing from Msgr. Louis Naughton Jan. 17, 2002. A special healing mass was held for Msgr. Naughton who was dying of pancreatic cancer. Although visibly ill, Msgr. Naughton greeted well-wishers after the mass. (Photo by Kathi Stearns)

I have thanked God so many times that He made our paths cross. From the very moment I arrived in Atlanta, he welcomed and encouraged me. In him, I had a faithful friend. As the Book of Sirach reminds us: "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter. He who finds one finds a treasure." And above all, in the midst of great suffering and pain, he taught me the meaning of those words written in the cell of St. Therese: "Jesus is my only Love." Jesus was his only love and he faithfully served Him, in good times and in bad.

The words of the great Dominican Lacordaire so greatly sum up the life of this man of humility, a holy priest, and a Christian gentleman, and are a fitting tribute to Msgr. Naughton:

Thou Art a Priest Forever

To live in the midst of the world without wishing its pleasures;
To be a member of each family, yet belonging to none;
To share all sufferings; to penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds;
To go from men to God and offer Him their prayers;
To return from God to men to bring pardon and hope;
To have a heart of bronze for chastity;
To teach and to pardon,
Console and bless always - what a glorious life!
And it is yours, O Priest of Jesus Christ.

As a Church, we are indeed living through very difficult times. The late Bishop Fulton J. Sheen used to say that he preferred to live in times when the Church has suffered rather than thrived, when the Church had to struggle, when the Church had to go against the culture. This is a time of purification where holiness will shine forth. The Church needs good and holy priests. The good news is that they are here. The life and the death of Msgr. Naughton challenges each and every one of us to be dedicated, upright and self-sacrificing and to consecrate our lives in the service of others. Let us pray that we might follow his loving example.

Msgr. Louis Naughton,
Our companion in faith and brother in Christ.
We entrust you to God.
At one with all the faithful, living and departed,
May you rest in peace and rise in glory,
Where grief and misery are banished,
And light and joy evermore abide.

Amen.