Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM: Into the mystery

“If you don’t have a sense of mystery, you’re as good as dead. If that makes me religious, then I’m religious.” — Albert Einstein

Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM, distinctly recalls the moment where he received his first experience of the Church, and his call to the priesthood. It was at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in McLennan, in northern Alberta, his family parish growing up.  He remembers a great, big building filled with light, and the priest coming down the aisle in procession. Young Fr. Kevin’s heart knew:  “I want to be one of those.”  This was his mystery, discovered at seven years old; where he felt called, where he felt he belonged.
          
The youngest of the three sons of Irish and Scottish immigrants, Fr. Kevin grew up on a farm 7 miles outside McLennan, AB, where “we had nothing, but we were happy”. Family life was stable, with a sense of belonging. At age 10, the family moved into town so that the children could receive an education from the Sisters of Providence, and for Grades 11 and 12, Fr. Kevin moved to Edmonton to study at St. Anthony’s College with the Franciscans. 

The mystery that penetrated his heart at 7 was still active, and so it made sense to follow up with the Franciscans in discernment. He had been stuck by the earthiness and groundedness of the friars, who entertained very little living in the abstract world. Fr. Kevin was sent first to Sherbrooke, Quebec, for his noviciate, and made his first vows at 20. He went on to Montreal for four more years of study in theology, before being ordained a deacon by Cardinal Léger, who emphasized the centrality of the mercy of God to the Franciscan way of life in his ordination homily. Much of his studies were quite routine, typical of the years before Vatican II, although learning French proved a good challenge. The seeds of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution were beginning to germinate, and the changes were visible. When Fr. Kevin first arrived in Quebec, he and his fellow novices were warmly driven around the city through the kindness of the people; by the time he left, there were nothing but suspicious stares and cold shoulders, leading Fr. Kevin to wonder why the Church leadership in Quebec had not noticed the disaffectedness of their flocks. At the end of his studies, Fr. Kevin was ordained priest in the church were he first felt the call, on June 16th, 1962, by Bishop Henri Routhier, OMI.

Fr. Kevin’s first assignment was teaching chemistry and physics at O’Leary High School in Edmonton. Changes were beginning to manifest themselves in clerical life at the time, not in the least with the Mass being celebrated in the vernacular, and concelebrations coming into practice. After a particular run-in with a parishioner’s somewhat anti-clerical family, Fr. Kevin began forgoing clerical collars. At one notable school dance in 1971, Fr. Kevin was dressed in a suit and tie. A student who was a known as a drug pusher at the school came up to him rather shocked, asking: “Where’s your collar?!  Someone has to stand for something around here…” Fr. Kevin noted the irony of the situation: he had to be placed upon a pedestal, but this student could do whatever he wanted.

A large portion of Fr. Kevin’s ministry was as director of religious education in Edmonton Catholic School District from 1973-1995. He was first sent on sabbatical to study religious education in the UK, and thereafter made a point to take time off every 5 years to allow for regular renewal. While he considers it to have been a rather routine administrative job, many changes were implemented in his time through consultation with the CCCB.  The “Come to the Father” program of catechesis was brought in, which shifted the focus away from traditional question-and-answer catechesis towards a more holistic understanding, and began renewal of religious education in Edmonton. As well, Edmonton Catholic schools began sending teachers to Newman Theological College at this time, forming in their religious education studies.
          
Fr. Kevin was also provincial minister from 1982-1992, and represented western Canada at general chapters, the international meetings of Franciscans, once in Assisi and once in San Diego. Part of the work involved travelling extensively to Europe, Asia and South America, and taking part in the theological discussions that were ongoing in these parts of the world, such as the growth of liberation theology in South America.

Fr. Kevin’s next assignment was to the retreat centre in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, where he worked to incorporate an ecumenical board of Lutherans, Anglicans and Roman Catholics to create an ecumenical retreat house, which ran in that configuration for about 10 years. Retreat work — giving talks and spiritual direction, and AA ministry (especially fifth step ministry) — has always been enjoyable for Fr. Kevin, and he continues this work now since arriving at Mount St. Francis in Cochrane in 2007.

Fr. Kevin has certainly seen many changes in his sixty years of priestly ministry. He has seen the shift in the understanding of faith from the intellectual assent so visible in his early days of seminary to being that of a personal relationship with Christ that is broadly seen and understood today. In encouraging others to grow in this relationship with Christ, he stresses the importance of setting time aside for prayer, be it five minutes or half an hour. This time must be set aside, to examine one’s conscience, to be grateful at the end of the day, or to simple just be, but at a certain time and place, taking the minutes, if not the hours to do so. As for specific prayers, Fr. Kevin has a particular fondness for what is commonly known as the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.  While shown not to be St. Francis’ actual words, it encapsulates much of his teaching well. 

For Fr. Kevin, the greatest vocation is that of baptism, the one from which we draw our dignity as the children of God; and yet, our quest to live out our baptism fully is never complete — we all need to become better Christians. As for advice for those specifically discerning religious life, Fr. Kevin’s advice is simple. One must continue to pray about the questions, and especially to pray for perseverance. A spiritual director is invaluable, as well as ensuring that it isn’t just a “head trip”, but that the seminarian or novice must be prepare to get their hands dirty. 
           
Overall, it’s been a “wholesome” journey for Fr. Kevin, from the first encounter wit the mystical in his home parish in McLennan, now through several placements, onwards through school administration until today’s work at Mount St. Francis. He has met all kinds of people, from beggars to governors, and despite their outward difference, Fr. Kevin has found similarities among all the people he has ministered to. He finds this to be a fascinating matter in ministry, that everyone is in need of love and respect, no matter their background. It seems that the initial mystery that drew Fr. Kevin in at a tender age keeps revealing itself still, well over sixty years on.

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Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully

Fr. Kevin Lynch, OFM

Ordained: June 16, 1962 in McLennan, AB by Bishop Henri Routhier, OMI
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Pastoral placement in the Diocese of Calgary

• Co-Director at Mt. St. Francis Retreat Centre, Cochrane Aug. 31, 2007