TRIBUTES have been paid following the passing of a Redemptorist priest who revived the Clonard Solemn Novena during the dark days of the conflict. 

Father George Wadding, who served as the Rector of Clonard Monastery from 1978 to 1984, passed away in Dublin on Tuesday.

The 85-year-old, who celebrated 60 years in the religious profession in 2015, died in hospital following a long illness.

His tenure saw the doors of Clonard Monastery opened to members of the local community who came to see it as a refuge in those most difficult of times. 

In 1979, he initiated the revival of the Clonard Solemn Novena, which had been put on hold due to the violence that was brought to the streets of Belfast. 

Fr Wadding was also intricately involved in ecumenical work in the city, creating connections and dialogue with people of various faiths. 

He took an active interest in all aspects of Church and community life, working with Clonard's various choir and music groups, and providing much-needed support to the Church's Youth Club. 

He would later move on to Galway, where he helped mentor young men who were in training for the priesthood. 

Fr Wadding later moved to Dublin where he remained until his death.

My memory of waking up that morning was seeing himself and Brother Tommy walking down Iris Drive where I lived. I saw other priests all that day around the area in their habits just giving comfort to people who were very upset."

Paying Tribute, Clonard Church Manager, Tom Brady, said: "He was a people's person. We've heard about the peace work of Father Alec Reid and Father Gerry Reynolds, but George would have been the one who gave the blessing for all of that.

"He opened the doors to people and during the two hunger strikes he would've dealt with the families. He would've made contact with a lot of the young lads from around here, ex-alter boys, who were inside.

"The morning of Bobby Sands' death he asked the community here to put their habits on and walk the streets as far as they could, just to kind of patrol the area. There was a lot of turmoil, barricades were getting built, and he was afraid there was going to be a trigger happy situation. My memory of waking up that morning was seeing himself and Brother Tommy walking down Iris Drive where I lived. I saw other priests all that day around the area in their habits just giving comfort to people who were very upset."

Mr Brady recalled how Fr Wadding had relaunched the Novena and brought new life to Clonard Monastery. 

"It started off with an extra Mass on a Sunday and before the nine days were out we were on to six sessions a day," he said. 

"Before he left there was probably 20,000 a day coming in for sessions and they were jammed in everywhere. People were looking for something to come out of those dark days."

"It was an old fusty Monastery before he came but he brought new life into it," Mr Brady continued.

People that weren't welcomed by the Church hierarchy were welcome in Clonard. The Redemptorists stood side by side with the people. That's the difference – as they say in English, 'hate the sin, love the sinner'. 

"When I came here it was an old strict place, but he opened the doors of the Monastery to people. The reception was just built and it was him that opened it up for the parlour ministry. There was a priest on duty of every day. He kept the balance between the old and the new."

He added: "I think he would always have liked to have come back here, but he was such presence in any community he went to they liked to hold onto him."

Gearóid Robinson, who served on the altar at Clonard during Fr Wadding's term, told how Fr Wadding was like an "uncle" for a generation of young Belfast men who entered the Seminary in Galway. 

Speaking in Irish, he said: "He was very good to me and the other lads from Belfast who were in the Seminary. We spent a lot of time in the Monastery when we were younger when he was there as Rector. When we were going to Galway it was a big step for us all moving from home to the Monastery, but because George was there it made the change a lot easier for us. He was kind of the uncle for us.

"I was very sorry to hear of his passing."

Mr Robinson told how, during the conflict, Fr Wadding and the Redemptorists of Clonard stood by people often condemned by the Church hierarchy. 

"The thing about Clonard at the time is that they didn't condemn the people.

"They condemned sin without condemning the people. People that weren't welcomed by the Church hierarchy were welcome in Clonard. The Redemptorists stood side by side with the people. That's the difference – as they say in English, 'hate the sin, love the sinner'.