On Wednesday 6th November, the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland, the Choirs of Heavenly Hosts welcomed a new member, Cletus Noone, OFM.
Cletus was born Francis Noone in Woodquay, Galway 92 years ago this week. His first attraction to the Franciscan way of life came as an altar boy in the Abbey Franciscan Friary in Galway. Completing his Leaving Cert in 1951 he was accepted into the Franciscans and headed for Killarney to begin his Franciscan Formation. On 21st February 1959, he was ordained in Rome on the same day as Bishop Willie Walsh but in different ceremonies. With his first appointment in Multyfarnham, all his Franciscan appointments were in the west of the country, Killarney, Limerick, and Ennis.
In all of these three places, he was loved and cherished and immersed himself in the community where he lived and ministered. Best known as a broadcaster on both pirate radio and Clare FM, his weekly programme ‘Noone at Night’ brought joy and comfort to so many people in hospitals and nursing homes. Despite his popularity as a broadcaster, Cletus Noone was a Friar following in the footsteps of St. Francis where prayer, Eucharistic and community living were at the heart of each day for him.
We were privileged here in Ennis that over half of his priestly life was lived among us and we all benefitted from his ministry as the weekly Director of St. Anthony’s Novena on a Tuesday to his ministry in the confessional. He also had a special love for the Poor Clare Sisters whose prayers he relied on for his work and ministry.
Last Wednesday morning, as the day celebrating our Irish Saints was beginning, Sister Death welcomed Cletus to the heavenly home. Cletus firmly believed that it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. We celebrate the passing of a brother to a new and more fruitful life in the company of the saints.
To all his Franciscan Brothers and Poor Clare Sisters, his nephew John and John’s wife Deirdre, and grandnieces Laoise & Nicola, our sympathy and thanks for the gift of a great Friar.
Cletus now enjoys and shares the triumph over death which has been won by the death of Jesus Christ.