The Tidy Priest-The busy Bible

Peter Samwell Roper-A tidy Priest

The homily preached at the funeral of Peter Roper, husband, father  retired priest and faithful parishioner

I am two years older than Peter.

You may think I look remarkably well preserved! (he is 87 and I ….well let's say "I'm not!)

In the way that all professions play their games

we clergy measure our age 

not from our birthdate

but from the date of our ordination

and I was ordained two years before Peter

so I am 33 and Peter was 31.

Both trained at the same theological college 

and ordained by the same Bishop. ( who was happily sitting in the congregation)

Peter followed me as an assistant St Mary’s Church, 

and then had solid  ministries as a parish priest at Bordertown and Port Elliot.

He was what one of my friends (who is much older than both of us!) would call a ‘tidy priest’

This is for Peter and I 

quite an accolade

(I am anything but tidy!)

It means...he knew what he had to do

and went about and did it thoroughly and well.

(Peter was also, I think, a “tidy man”)

This has its strengths and its weaknesses.

One of my abiding memories is how sometimes 

when I was not a parish priest

my family and I would go to St Jude’s Church 

at Port Elliott

for the lovely Easter Vigil

There would be candles, beautiful flowers 
Peter would preach a good sermon

and celebrate the Eucharist.

He would always be glad to see my family

and so Easter would begin.

I was delighted when he & Joan retired back home to become  parishioners

in this their home parish.

In a parish (any parish) where sometimes things are really difficult

it is good to have wise counsel (even though he was two years younger!)

He never let my UNtidiness (some would say...bizarreness)

stop him from being supportive. 

if ever he disagreed he would speak quietly and attentively

I always felt supported.

Most of you don’t know what it means to be a priest

(though there are quite a few gathered here

which is a tribute to Peter's character, life and ministry

and a witness to us, and particularly his fine sons 
about the importance and value of his life as a priest)

The call to be the Good Shepherd

was important to Peter....in his family, as a husband, as a priest. (which is why we read it today)

He didn’t always get it right

sometimes was bit too conservative,

and maybe a bit dogmatic.

Infusing his life was the desire to be a Shepherd like Jesus.

Caring for those committed to his care

Peter’s ‘tidiness’ meant he did this in a certain conventional way.

I quite like that (but I am not like that)

I like his tidiness, thoroughness,.

Let me show you his Bible.

The workbook of the tidy priest...the good shepherd.

Notes, lists of people to pray for, comments and thoughts

pages falling out ....Bishop Bruce Rosier said to me once this is what a Bible should be like...we should have to replace them...it is a workbook

Peter of course would have like to have been not only a Good Shepherd..but a better Shepherd,

Only too well aware  that as father, husband, grandfather, priest

there was great responsibility and some failure and disappointment
More than a little sadness

But we thank God for this tidy priest...this man...this Good Shepherd.

Thanks be to God