TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Rev Fr Willie Bradley, who will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon.
Fr Kevin Gillespie, Vicar General of the Diocese of Raphoe, described the Letterkenny priest as “a gentleman who was very much appreciated.”
Fr Bradley, from Glencar, was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp), commonly known as the Holy Ghost Fathers or Spiritans.
He spent much of his life outside the diocese, undertaking missionary work in Brazil before returning to Ireland to teach at St Michael’s College in Dublin.
He later became principal of the school, a role he held until 1996.
Following his tenure in Dublin, Fr Bradley returned to his native Donegal, where he ministered at Letterkenny Cathedral as a curate for a number of years.
“During that time it was very evident that he was a devout man of great humanity,” said Fr Gillespie.
“As a priest he was very learned and had a lovely presence in the Cathedral,” Fr Gillespie added.
He described how Fr Bradley was very much appreciated and ministered very well in the years that he spent there, which he said he was privileged to enjoy with him.
Fr Gillespie also highlighted Fr Bradley’s lifelong passion for sport.
He was known for his enthusiasm for athletics and was a great runner even before athletics were formally established in the county.
“It was a significant part of his wider life,” Fr Gillespie said.
Fr Bradley’s contributions to education, pastoral care, and sport leave a lasting legacy in both the Diocese of Raphoe and the wider communities he served.
Arrangements
Predeceased by his parents James and Kathleen and brother Patrick. Deeply regretted by his brothers Jim, Danny, Louis, Brian and sisters Girlie (McCrossan), Angela, Dympna (Lynch), Ann (Doherty) and Bernadette (Doherty), sisters-in-aw Marie Therese, Mary O’, Patricia and Rachel, brothers-in-law Con and John, his Spiritan confrères, nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and a wide circle of family, friends and neighbours.
Reposing at his late residence. House private, please.
Requiem Mass in St Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny at 12 noon on Wednesday, April 15 which can be viewed online at https://www.churchservices.tv/letterkenny followed by interment in the family plot in New Leck Cemetery.
Family flowers only please, donations, if wished, to Larissa Lodge Nursing Home, Residents Comfort Fund, c/o Paschal Blake, Funeral Director, Stoney Arch, New Line Rd, Letterkenny.