Obit Notitiam: The Rt. Revd. Dom. Barrie of St Alphonsus (Hodgin) OSBA. Titular Bishop of Caerleon

It is with great sadness that we inform our readers, members and friends of the passing of the Rt. Revd. Dom. Barrie of St Alphonsus (Hodgin) OSBA, Titular Bishop of Caerleon.

Message from Bishop Alistair OSBA (csr)

Dom Barrie was originally from Hyde in Cheshire, on the edge of Greater Manchester, and was raised a Roman Catholic. He entered the Redemptorist Congregation as a young man, was educated at the Franciscan Studies Center in Canterbury and in due course was ordained priest and entered the Redemptorist missionary field in South Africa. After some years as a Redemptorist priest Fr. Barrie met his wife-to-be, Noluvuyo, who is a member of the Xhosa people, and fell in love. He then left the Redemptorists and was married. The happy couple were blessed with two children, Sandy and Benedict.

Fr. Barrie then continued to work as a full time clergyman for various Continuing Anglican churches and ended up looking after the traditional Anglican parish in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 2013 Fr. Barrie was incardinated into the Holy Celtic Church, bringing his parish with him. He continued to have a very active pastoral ministry and conducted many weddings before retiring from his parish in Caracas about four years ago.

Although he retained a great fondness for Redemptorist spirituality Dom Barrie loved our Benedictine community and was a zealous member. He was consecrated by our bishops (at that time) in Brazil in 2015 and a year or so later returned to South Africa with his wife Noluvuyo and son Benedict. Sandy has remained in Venezuela. It would not be an understatement to say that daily life for the family, just keeping body and soul together, has not been easy for Dom Barrie and his family over the years and especially since their relatively recent return to South Africa following the economic collapse in Venezuela under the Maduro government.

Dom Barrie dealt with these challenges with truly exemplary courage, fortitude and faith. The Divine Office being his anchor which held him firm upon the waters of the stormy seas. I will always be grateful to Dom Barrie for his wonderful example of courage and faith in times of trial and for his steadfast commitment and loyalty to our church.Any little donation you might be able to make to help Noluvuyo and Benedict through this hard time would certainly be appreciated. (Send Bishop Alistair a message).

I would also ask all of our clergy to please remember Dom Barrie and his family at all your masses.

A Requiem Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Hermitage on Sunday 13 June 2021 within the next few days and would invite any of our clergy who can to please do the same.I have only just received this news and do not know any of the details of Dom Barrie’s passing yet.Our sincerest condolences to Noluvuyo, Sandy and Benedict.

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Message fro Fr. Ugo-Maria ESB.

Today we reconnect with the Gospel passage in which Mary of Magdala, the Apostle of the Apostles, as she meets the Risen Jesus – because He Himself surprised by the Gospel: from this surprise comes the mission and joy of witnessing it. A joy “that can spread to the whole world”.

Dom Barrie is known for having spread the Gospel’s joy wherever he served.

“I am risen and now I am always with you“, the Lord tells us, and my hand supports you. Wherever you may fall, you will fall into my hands and I will be present even at the door of death. Where no one can accompany you anymore and where you cannot carry anything, there I am waiting for you to transform darkness into light for you.

Christian hope, however, is never only singular, it is always also hope for others. Our lives are deeply linked to each other and the good and evil that each one does always affects the others as well. Thus the prayer of a pilgrim soul in the world can help another soul that is purifying itself after death.

Dom Barrie was a man of mission and of peace who animated the Church to be all encompassing, and announced the joy of the Gospel rejoicingly. And he was was always the first to help, placing himself at the service of the poor, the sick, and those in need.

He fascinated and involved all around him, welcoming all with cordiality, always leaving a memorable mark upon them: everyone felt at ease, welcomed and listened to. He has always lived his mission with spontaneity and with great humility: with the abilities he had, he knew how to be on everyone’s level, he never made anyone feel ill at ease, his charisms was infectious. He was a good friend and shepherd, and gave himself to the last.