The indefatigable Msgr. Rory Deane: A priest’s priest and a man’s man

Msgr. Rory Deane relaxes in retirement at his home in Lamar. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

On June 6, Msgr. Gregory “Rory” Deane—who was ordained in Ireland in 1954—will celebrate 60 years in the priesthood. In retirement now, he has time to reminisce about his youth, his family, his beloved Ireland and the many changes in the universal church and in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Always a sportsman, Msgr. Rory Deane still enjoys riding his bike around Lamar. On this occasion he rode to the Stella Maris Chapel and the nearby cemetery. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

He came to Texas with three other classmates, Charles McNaboe, Patrick Higgins and Raymond Rafferty. When they first arrived, they stayed at the Cathedral for two weeks until Bishop Mariano S. Garriga could meet them and get some idea of their gifts. “I felt like a dog at the Westminster Dog Show being checked out,” Msgr. Dean said.

A fellow Irish priest, Father William Kinlough who was assigned to Three Rivers and was famous in Ireland as a Gaelic football player, came to St. Peter’s College where Deane was a seminarian. Father Kinlough wowed the young men with stories about Texas and the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Some 30 seminarians, including Deane and his classmates, signed up to come to Texas.

Leaving for Texas, of course, meant leaving his beloved Ireland and his family. Deane was born to Michael and Maureen Deane in Bunclody, Ireland, 60 miles south of Dublin. His mother died at the age of 26 and his maternal grandmother took over the task of caring for the family. His grandfather became Deane’s “hero.” His grandmother—who when he was only seven-years-old—pronounced that she believed he would be the priest in their family.

The seminary during those years was tough as Ireland was poor; there was no heat in the buildings and little in the way of food. There were struggles, but his involvement in sports taught him the value of not giving up even when times are tough. He said sports kept him in the seminary. On one occasion, in a game of Gaelic football he made some famous plays including a goal with a 60-yard kick, but the team still lost as they usually did. However, he never stopped giving his best and he feels this taught him important lessons of perseverance for both life and in ministry.

Bishop Garriga assigned Father Deane to work with Father Engelbert Bartosch at Sacred Heart in Mathis. He ranks Sacred Heart—and its two missions of Sandia and San Patricio—as one of his favorites because of the strong faith and good hearts of the people, as well as the example of Father Bartosch, who was from nearby Orange Grove.

Msgr. Deane said Father Bartosch was a hard worker who sacrificed much of his time in service to the people, making money to help build a hall, working water wells and other needed structures in that parish and its missions. He would hunt wild pigs and then take the meat to sell for tamale meat to earn extra funds for the parish. Both of them did without a lot so as not to be a burden on the people financially.

Gaelic football was one Msgr. Deane's favorite sports, which he played quite well. In this vintage photo he is kicking a 60-yard goal before 50,000 fans at Croke Park in Dublin. Deane, 16 at the time, was playing with borrowed size 14 boots. Contributed photo

His first car was an old Buick that cost $350 and was maintained for many years by a parishioner who gave of his talent to keep the car going. Bishop Garriga lamented that the car was so noisy he could hear Father Deane coming to the Chancery from as far away as Calallen.

Over the years, Msgr. Deane has seen many changes—some good, some not so much—in priesthood, priestly habits and of course the universal and local church. Locally, he came to the Diocese of Corpus Christi when it still had all the counties with which it began—all the counties of south Texas, from the Nueces to the Rio Grande Rivers. Then four southern counties separated off to form the Diocese of Brownsville in 1965; Goliad County, where he served for some years at Immaculate Conception Parish and its missions, was transferred from the Diocese of Corpus Christi to the new Diocese of Victoria; and in 2000 he saw the western portion of the diocese becoming the Diocese of Laredo.

The Second Vatican Council brought the most changes, especially with the Liturgy in the vernacular and the Mass facing the people—something he applauded as it ultimately meant that the priest became also more approachable both on and off the altar.

Msgr. Deane is getting all his affairs in order. He has already secured his tombstone, a Celtic cross, in the old cemetery in Lamar next to Stella Maris Chapel. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

Msgr. Deane has been greatly touched by Pope Francis and his love of the poor. Msgr. Deane saved his money over the years, and realizing he was getting closer to the end of his ministry and journey of faith, he decided—when he survived near death with pneumonia—that he would begin making plans for his passing. He put up his tombstone in the old cemetery in Lamar next to Stella Maris Chapel and began to give away his considerable savings, which had grown from wise investments.

He was moved by the pope’s gesture of selling the Harley Davidson presented to him as a gift and using the proceeds of the sale to help feed the poor in Rome. Msgr. Deane decided to make some bequests to local charities, including Catholic Charities, the Mother Theresa Shelter and local Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. He also made financial contributions to all the parishes at which he served, including Sacred Heart in Mathis, Christ the King in Corpus Christi, St. Joseph in Port Aransas, St. Therese in Woodsboro, Immaculate Conception in Goliad and Sacred Heart in Rockport.

He praises the pope’s concern that priests be individuals of prayer and humility, shepherds that serve others and not self-serving individuals concerned about ambition and honors. And of course, without thinking of it himself, he is describing the lovable and loving Msgr. Rory Deane.