Father Brendan McGlynn
Born 12th November 1930
Entered Mount St Bernard 1952
Solemn Profession 13th November 1957
Ordination 29th July 1959
Died 21st February 2017 aged 86
Announcement of Death:
February 21, 2017: Father Brendan McGlynn (Fr. Nivard of Bamenda) was born in 1930 in Glasgow (Great
Britain).
After joining the Franciscans for a number of years, he joined the Cistercian Abbey of Mount St Bernard in
1952, made his solemn profession in 1957 and was ordained a priest in 1959. He was later sent on the
new foundation in Bamenda, Cameroon, in the ‘60s. He came back to Great Britain in 2008 for health
reasons and changed his stability to Nunraw. At that time he also changed back to his baptismal name of
Brendan. Father was 86 years old, had been in monastic vows for 62 years and 57 years a priest when the Lord called him.
Fr Brendan had been suffering from a rare terminal disease, (Bulbar Palsy) for several months, although the doctors said that he must have had it for
the past year or two. He took the news of his illness with great acceptance and peace and was not demanding in his needs during his growing
incapacity. He continued to keep an interest in life around him although he gradually needed to sleep longer as his illness progressed. It took
complete control of him for only the final two days of his life. Fr Nivard, after joining the Franciscans for a number of years, joined the Cistercian
Abbey of Mount St Bernard in 1952. He was later sent on the new foundation in Bamenda, Cameroon, in the ‘60s. For the past eight or nine years he
stayed at Nunraw mainly producing choir books for his community at Bamenda and also for the monks in Nsugbe, Nigeria. Nivard decided to change
his stability to Nunraw as its climate was more conducive to his health just two years ago. At that time he also changed back to his baptismal name of
Brendan. His funeral was on Saturday, 25 February at 11.00am. May he now rest in God’s peace.
Abbot Mark's Sermon at Fr Brendan's Funeral Mass
Funeral Mass Homily - 25 February 2017 – by the Abbot, Fr Mark
We gather this morning to pray for and celebrate the life of our Fr Brendan. He has been living at Nunraw for only about eight or nine years and so
was perhaps not known very well by many of our friends and visitors to the abbey, except at a distance. And yet he knew and was known by very many
before he set foot as a monk in Nunraw. Brendan was distinguished by his trim beard. He was also a practical individual and very fit. I remember him
going upstairs two and three, or was it four, at a time. He had a keen interest in all things monastic. He went to a Franciscan College of education in
England. After a couple of years, he entered the Franciscan Order and remained there for about six years. I don't know why, but he then decided to
become a Cistercian. Brendan was the oldest of a family of seven and that gave him a head start over the others. But when he came to apply to enter
at Nunraw, his younger brother, our Fr Donald, had beat him to it. Brendan was advised to apply at Mount St Bernard Abbey near Leicester. He
entered there in 1952 and was given 'Nivard' as his monastic name. He led a busy and interesting life over the sixty-five years. In the mid-sixties Nivard
was sent as one of the founders of the Abbey of Bamenda in the Cameroon. There with Br William, also of Mount St Bernard, he set up the day-to-day
running of the abbey. He was also instrumental in setting up and running the large poultry business at the abbey. He fitted well into life at Bamenda
and mixed easily with the native African members of the community. That was the kind of person he was. On one of his visits to Nunraw, Nivard
contrived to {borrow' a superfluous organ from Mgr. Barry at Our Lady, Star of the Sea in North Berwick. How he transported it to Bamenda is
anybody's guess. Within the last ten years Nivard came to Nunraw to produce a new choir books for his community and that Abbey at Nsugbe in
Nigeria. That took some time; he was very meticulous in his work. Two years ago, Nivard said he found our climate more congenial for his health, in
particular for his skin complaints. There were no doubt other higher reasons as well. Whatever, Nivard asked to change his Stability to Nunraw. That
duly happened and he took the opportunity to change his name back to Brendan, his baptismal name.
It didn't seem to occur to him that in an older community with growing memory problems, it wasn't easy to remember changed names. But the
youthfulness of the man didn't seem to see that as a problem. Now that we have managed to remember him as Brendan he went and died on us.
The readings we have today for Brendan's funeral help us to see something of his inner life and of what being a Christian means for us too.
In the reading from Isaiah we see God's promise of salvation and of life after death. There will be mourning and loss in our lives but that sorrow will be
taken away by the Lord who cares for us and will treat us with the joys and celebration of heaven. In the First letter of St John, we are called to be and
are already children of God. We are 'family' in God. When we die, we shall be like him and see God as he really is.
The banquet theme is taken up again in the Gospel of Luke. We are meant to live and enjoy life but also to be ready to meet the Master when he
comes to us each day. There will be one day when we receive a final invitation to open the door, to be open ourselves, for the Master's arrival. Instead
of finding ourselves serving him, we will be waited on by him at his banquet.
Brendan gave a wonderful example of that in a way he accepted the doctor’s diagnosis of his condition. He was relaxed at the news, at peace in
himself and with God.
Nivard’s Story
Fr. Nivard (WIlliam Brendan) McGlynn was born 12 November 1930, in Holy Cross Parish, Glasgow, Scotland. He was the first born of seven children
born to Irish parents. He was baptised William Brendan after his aunt, Mother Mary Brendan, a missionary in South Africa. At the age of five he joined
the parish choir where he first sang plainchant. At this time his mother introduced him to the piano.
World War II
In 1939 his mother and seven children, five girls and two boys, were evacuated to Ireland because of World War II. His father remained in Scotland to
support the family. In Donegal, Ireland Brendan completed his primary education. Here he again played on a harmonium and two pianos in his
grandmother's hotel. However the family soon moved to the parish of Ardara and settled in Ballyjkilduff near Naran Portnoo on the shore of
Gweebara Bay. Here there was an off-shore holy island with a monastic site, Iniskeel. At certain times of the year it was possible to make a pilgrimage
to the island but only for a few hours before the tide returned. He and his brother visited the island quite often in summertime. Here his monastic
vocation began to take shape.
Scotland 1945
He returned with his family to Scotland in 1945. He worked as a shop assistant in Glasgow for six months. In 1946 He applied to enter the Franciscan
Order, OFM. He was accepted and sent to their Minor Seminary, St Bernardine's College, Buckingham, England, for his secondary education. In 1948
he entered the Franciscan novitiate, Chilworth, Surrey, England.
Then while at the House of Studies at East Bergholt the attraction to the monastic way of life became very strong. So in 1952, when he was due for
Solemn Profession he applied to enter Mt St Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire, England, and was accepted.
At this time his brother and sisters began to follow him into the religious life when they came of age.
Mt St Bernard Abbey
On receiving the habit he took the name of Nivard. (He was not allowed to keep the name of Brendan because when his Abbot was novice master in
Ireland very many 'Brendans' entered but not one persevered!). He made his Simple Profession, 13 November 1954, and Solemn Profession 13
November 1957. He was ordained priest, 29 July 1959. He worked for seven years in the Pottery, first as assistant to Fr Vincent and then to Fr Luke.
Apart from the usual stoneware items he experimented with clay flutes and ocarinas. He also assisted Fr Luke in the repair of harmoniums and in the
making of the simple monstrance still used in Bamenda Abbey.
When Dom Ambrose asked if he would like to go on the Foundation in Jos, Nigeria he did not have to think twice before giving his 'yes'. He always
wanted to be a monk, a priest and a missionary and now the third wish was granted. He was a member of the main group of Founders of eight monks
who left Mt St Bernard . . . .
On to Bamenda, Cameroon - - - - to be continued
Fr Nivard's Thanksgiving at the Mass for the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination
“The Mass of Martha, Mary and Lazarus show us the beauty of a welcoming family, a home, a house of overflowing hospitality. What they were to
Jesus God, our Father, has been to me from all eternity. He has showered me with blessings through my parents brothers, sisters and ancestors.
I thank God for his mercy and love granted through Mother Church and my religious Family, MSB, Bamenda and especially, at the moment, for the
unique hospitality of Sancta Maria Abbey. I don’t know how manage to put up with the beggar monk from Africa.
But seriously, the gift of fifty years of priesthood is so great a grace that only with the Mass, the Eucharist, can we offer the Lord adequate
thanksgiving. I thank you for joining me on this joyful occasion.
Coming together as God’s family, with confidence, let us ask the Father’s forgiveness, for He is full of gentleness and compassion."