Father Garett Sweeney (1912-1979) was born in Derby and ordained in the Diocese of Nottingham in 1937. In 1964, after a varied academic and parish career, he was elected Master of St Edmund’s House, Cambridge where he remained for 10 years before his retirement in 1976.
For those of us who know and love Padley, his retirement was a fruitful one, for in 1978 he compiled his excellent Pilgrim’s Guide to Padley. In his Foreword, he writes, in his signature style, concise and to the point:
“This latest attempt to meet the needs of pilgrims will of necessity be somewhat different from its predecessors. If the price is to be kept within reasonable limits, the high cost of printing must be countered by economy of words.
Nevertheless, his short but densely packed booklet, is surely unmatched in the depth and breadth of his research. He paints a vivid picture of the lives of Catholics, both lay and ordained, in Penal times in Derbyshire. He brings 14th century Padley alive in all its glory and tragedy and in no small way has enabled the telling and re-telling of the story of this very special place.
The new 2nd edition faithfully reproduces the first edition and is a tribute to Fr Sweeney who died the year following publication.
The booklet costs £5+£1 postage. Contact:
[email protected] for details. Maria Kenyon
