TRIBUTES have been paid to a much loved North Belfast priest who has passed away.

Fr Myles Kavanagh served the community of Ardoyne for over 60 years. Originally from Dublin, Fr Myles came to Belfast before the Troubles began and stayed throughout, dedicated to the people in Ardoyne and helping revitalise the area economically and socially through the Flax Trust.

Fr Gary Donegan, who worked alongside Fr Myles for years as a Passionist priest at Holy Cross Parish, said he will be remembered as a 'groundbreaker' who was dedicated to the people of Ardoyne.

Fr Gary said: “Myles was from Dublin and came to Belfast over 60 years ago. He began working in the parish in Ardoyne and throughout the years he had an amazing career as a Passionist. He was also the Parish Priest and Rector at one stage.

“He stayed in Ardoyne from the beginning of the Troubles and in 1977 he founded the Flax Trust. As well as being a priest he was very much an entrepreneur and a very shrewd businessman. His idea was of justice and peace through employment and he was involved in the setting up of many cottage industries through the Flax Trust."

Fr Gary said that through his work Fr Myles met the great and good from many countries but it never distracted him from his work in Ardoyne where he was responsible for helping secure much of the community facilities in the area, saying:

“He was on first name terms with numerous Taoisigh, Presidents and Prime Ministers and he was responsible for bringing serious investment into the North. One of the highlights of the year was the Superbowl Ball held each year in the Europa and attending would be all major political parties and players, he had a unique disarming personality. He was an amazing man in many ways.

“He was behind much of the building which took place in Ardoyne, from the Post Office to the community centres, medical centre etc. He cleared debt in the parish and worked his entire life to improving the area economically and socially.

"Myles was also a bit of a maverick. Ireland at the time both socially, politically and in the Church, was very conservative but Myles didn’t really conform to anything. He practised a form of radical religiosity, he lived his life in a form of Liberation Theology and he was groundbreaker."

REMEMBERED: Fr Myles attending a funeral during lockdown
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REMEMBERED: Fr Myles attending a funeral during lockdown

Fr Gary continued, saying Fr Myles' Passionist beliefs were at the core of his personality and despite the wealth of his contacts, influence and business acumen, he personally maintained a spartan lifestyle.

“We Passionists are not waged so we don’t have personal bank accounts and that was the same for Fr Myles. I remember once there was a break-in while he was sleeping and afterwards we were in his room assessing the damage His room was very spartan, just a few sticks of furniture. For a man who was at the forefront of religious and economic life, he lived very much in the mould of Pope Francis.

“He was a very devout priest, he went out in the saddle so to speak and he never stopped working, even in ill-health. When I lost the sight in my eye last year he helped while I recovered. He was too unwell to stand but sitting in his chair at the edge of the sanctuary he still took confessions.

“Every month we have a Mass for Saint Charles of Mount Argus and Myles and myself were there when Saint Charles was canonised and even later in ill-health he would bless people with Saint Charles’ relics. He would always be the last one to leave the sanctuary."

The Holy Cross priest continued, stating that Fr Myles would be remembered as someone who lived for the community in Ardoyne.

“All of his work, in business, in the community came from his deep faith and his Passionist beliefs whose faith came first and foremost and influenced everything he did.

"Although his address book would have been the envy of the world with the contacts he had, Myles was happiest working with the people in Ardoyne and working with people who were socially deprived.

“Ardoyne was where his heart was, although he was a proud Dub, his heart was firmly in Ardoyne.”

Fr Myles' body will rest in the Houben Centre at Holy Cross, Ardoyne. Removal to Church of the Holy Cross on Wednesday November 13th at 5.00pm. Funeral Mass on Thursday November 14th at 11.00am, and burial thereafter in the Community Cemetery.

His passing is deeply regretted by his sister Mary and entire family circle, Passionist Priests, Brothers and the Clergy of the Diocese of Down and Connor.

Mass can be livestreamed on the Holy Cross website on http://www.holycrossparishbelfast.com