Very Rev. Patrick Canon Heaney

OBITUARY SCOTTISH CATHOLIC DIRECTORY

Born at Glasgow on 25th November, 1901, he studied at St. Mary's College, Blairs (1918-1922) and Scots College, Rome (1922-1929).He was ordained in Rome on 6th May, 1928. Returning to Scotland in 1929, he served for three years in Baillieston, two years in Barrhead and in 1934 he was appointed to Uddingston, where he remained for fifteen years. He was appointed parish priest of Biggar in 1949, transferred to Blackwood in 1950, and in 1953 took charge of the fairly new parish of Bargeddie, which brought him back to the scene of his first labours in Baillieston.While there, he became chaplainto the Catholic Women's League, a post he relinquished only when he was appointed to the parish of Sacred Heart, Bellshill, in1958. In 1961 he became a Religious Inspector of Schools and in 1964 a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Motherwell. A rather shy and retiring nature, which made him seek always to avoid the limelight, hid a keen mind, a sympathetic understanding of people's problems and a capacity for spending himself in his run-of-the-mill parochial duties. He is still well remembered and spoken of with high esteem,particularly in Uddingston. In his latter yearsillnesses of several kinds curtailed his activities, but never dampened his sympathy and his willingness to serve his people to the best of his undoubted ability. Canon Heaney died at the Bon Secours Hospital, Langside, Glasgow, on 20th May, 1967. His death was rather unexpected in the sense that few, if any, of his friends realised that his condition was so serious when he was removed to the hospital a few weeks previously. After his Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart, he was buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, New Stevenston.