FATHER John J McCabe who died on December 3, hailed from Riddrie, and studied for the priesthood at the Royal Scots College at Valladolid in Spain. In the early fifties, those studying for the priesthood in Spain spent three years in the Spanish college before being allowed home, and after a holiday would return to complete the next three years of their academic and spiritual formation.
During the summers they had to stay in Spain, students were sent to the summer house the college had at Boecillo, and John McCabe was remembered as a very proficient footballer. Upon completion of the course in philosophy and theology, students were ordained in the college chapel at Valladolid.
Ordained in 1957 for service in the Archdiocese of Glasgow, he spent many years at the parish of The Immaculate Conception in Maryhill where older parishioners remember him as a compassionate and caring man. Further appointments took him as assistant priest to the huge South Side parish of Christ the King, King's Park, where he formed a great working partnership with the then parish priest, Father Joe McElholm, before becoming Administrator of Our Lady and St Margaret's in Kinning Park.
Father McCabe became chairman and Episcopal Vicar for Fabric and Planning of the archdiocese, and when he was appointed parish priest of St Joseph's in Cumbernauld he carried out extensive renovations to the church and house. His last appointment was at Cardonald as parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes and when heart trouble dogged his last years he decided to retire.
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