Scottish Catholic Observer

Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow has led tributes to Bishop John Jukes, an emeritus auxiliary bishop of Southwark, who died in Scotland this week at the age of 88.

After his episcopal retirement, Bishop Jukes became parish priest at St Margaret’s in Huntly and will sorely missed by parishioners there. A requiem Mass took place in the parish on Wednesday.

Archbishop Conti, who was a close friend, said Bishop Jukes was a great loss.

“Bishop John Jukes will be sadly missed by all who knew him throughout his long ministry as a Capuchin Friar, Canon lawyer, bishop and latterly parish priest in the Diocese of Aberdeen,” the archbishop said from the Holy Land where he is on pilgrimage this week. “I had known Bishop John as a member of the joint bishops bio ethics committee and came to appreciate his sharp intellect, wisdom and sense of humour.”

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said he was deeply saddened to hear of Bishop Jukes’ death.

Tributes

Archbishop Conti recalled his delighted, when Bishop of Aberdeen, to press Bishop Jukes into the service of the diocese when the opportunity arose.

“He had traveled regularly in the north of Scotland over the years, and so, when he hinted to me, while I was Bishop of Aberdeen, that he would be happy to come and take on a parish in the diocese I was more than happy to agree,” the Archbishop told the SCO. “He was a popular figure in Huntly and took the place to his heart. When, as Bishop of Aberdeen I needed advice on Canon law issues he was an invaluable support, as he was also to my successor.

“His loss will be particularly felt by those in Huntly who took him to their hearts and whom he served so devotedly in the latter years of his life.”

Cardinal O’Brien said he was ‘extremely sorry to hear of the unexpected death of the late Bishop Jukes.’

“He served the Church in Scotland extremely well in the Diocese of Aberdeen and he was still available for consultation to anyone with regards to Canon law in which he was an acknowledge expert,” the cardinal said.

Retirement

Though Bishop Jukes retired from his duties as the parish priest of St Margaret’s in 2009, he remained part of the life of Aberdeen Diocese. He lived with the small community of Franciscan friars in Huntly.

Fr James Bell, parish priest of the nearby St Mary’s in Inverness, said he had remained active in his Faith.

“Though he had retired from active ministry he was still a friend to many priests and lay people who would visit him for support,” he said. “Just the week before last he held a small seminar on Pauline theology, his mind was still very active and he remained a wonderful expositor of the Catholic Faith. He was an inspiration to many of us here.”

Born on August 7, 1923, in London the bishop worked from 1940 to 1945 in the civil service before entering the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Conventual, in Liverpool. He was ordained at St Anthony of Padua’s, Liverpool, on July 19, 1952 by Archbishop Downey.

In his clerical life he held many positions including rector of the Franciscans Order’s Seminary in Anglesey, North Wales, vice-provincial of his province, and vicar episcopal for religious of Southwark Diocese. On January 30, 1980 he was ordained as the Titular Bishop of Strathearn and Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark by Archbishop Bowen. He also acted as representative of the Bishops’ Conference to the Council on Christian approaches to Defence and Disarmament. He was a member of the bio ethics committee that serves the three bishops’ conferences in the British Isles.

He was particularly proud of his work with unions as the chairman of the world of work committee of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

“The Church has to maintain its links to working people,” he told the SCO in 2006. “When times are hard again, as they will be, the Church will need to there with the poor.”

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