In the latest edition of the Diocesan newsletter “Catholic East Anglia”, you many have noticed an article about Fr Pat, as a result there was an interesting article in the magazine of the St Pancras Catholic Church, Ipswich by his sister that has been reproduced below:
Family fires with two canons
I was surprised to pick up the St Pancras Bell newsletter a few weeks ago to read the heading “Canon Patrick Cleary”. What on earth was he doing in the bulletin, I wondered.
To me that name meant our great-uncle, Canon Patrick Cleary, who was parish priest of St Alban’s Church, Macclesfield in the Shrewsbury diocese from 1910 until his death in 1937.
It took me a moment to realise that the Bell newsletter item referred to my brother, Fr Patrick Cleary, who was to be made a canon in our Diocese of East Anglia.
Fr Pat was baptised in St Pancras church and attended Mass these until St Mary Magdalen’s Church on Norwich Road was build [1956]. He and his two brothers, Joseph and Peter, all served on the alter there for many years.
Pat and Pete were later both active Scouts with Fr Leeder who ran a Catholic troop for years and many parishioners at St Pancras will remember.
Fr Pat was inaugurated into the cathedral chapter as a canon at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich in October, during a Mass with the Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, and the other canons who help support and advise the bishop in running the diocese.
The official notification of Pat’s new status was read out and he was duly clothed in the garb of a canon,
We, his family, were present along with some of this parishioners from St Thomas of Canterbury, Wymondham, all please to see him receive this honour.
Rt Rev Alan Hopes, Bishop of East Anglia, and Canon Pat Cleary
Canon Patrick Cleary was a parish priest in Macclesfield and great-uncle of Canon Pat Cleary
Father Pat Cleary joins Chapter
Canon Patrick Cleary great uncle of Canon Pat Cleary
Newly installed Canon Pat Cleary
The Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, installed Fr Pat Cleary as a canon at capitular Mass in Norwich. Canon David Paul, Dean of St John’s Cathedral, said: “I would like to welcome Canon Pat Cleary into the chapter of canons. He brings with him wisdom and great experience of the diocese.
”In addition, his tremendous work in encouraging vocations has been invaluable in the mission of the church in East Anglia. He will, I know, give great service to the chapter of canons and the diocese as a whole.”
The ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 21, and means that Fr Pat is now part of the college of consultors for the diocese, Canons fulfil the role of consultors until they reach the age of 75, at which point they become canons emeriti,
Fr Pat celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination in 2018, He initially studied at Campion House, run by the Jesuits, in Osterley, west London, then spent two years at seminary and did a degree course in Theology at All Hallows in Dublin.
When he was 40 Fr Pat went to Santa Cruz in Bolivia for three years with the St James’ Missionary Society. He became assistant director and spent five years in America, travelling to Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia where the society worked.
He is parish Priest of St Thomas of Canterbury in Wymondham.