Fr John Macauley was born in London on 31st May 1921, the eldest of the five children of Dr Constantine and Mrs Kathleen Macauley. He was baptised Desmond and sent to school at Ampleforth, where he was a foundation member of St Dunstan's House under Fr Oswald Vanheems. In 1939, at 18 years of age, he was among those young men leaving school who had to make a difficult decision. Should they join the monastery, as they felt called to do, or should they follow another call of duty and join up to fight against Hitler and Nazism? In the end, Desmond decided to join the monastery and was given the name of Br John. Two years later he was joined by another founder member of St Dunstan's, George Hume, who became known first as Brother, then later as Cardinal, Basil Hume. They continued as brethren, friends and holiday companions through the years, John organising an annual fishing holiday for the Cardinal in Cumbria or Scotland.
After taking his degree at St Benet's Hall, Oxford, Br John was ordained priest in 1948. He worked as monastery guestmaster and taught geography at Ampleforth College. From Fr Jerome Lambert he inherited responsibility for the Sea Scouts and the annual ski trip. Both flourished under his leadership. But he will be best remembered by generations of boys as a past master at instructing and training them in carpentry of the finest craftsmanship. Under him, the carpentry shop at Ampleforth produced work of astonishing excellence. He was followed in this tradition by his brother, Charles, who joined the monastery from the school in 1950.
In 1962, Abbot Herbert Byrne, who 23 years earlier had accepted him into the monastery, sent him to live and work as an assistant priest at St Alban's in Warrington, one of Ampleforth's north western parishes. He remained there for two years, and in 1964 moved to Workington as assistant under Fr Sigebert D'Arcy. When in 1977 Fr Sigebert returned to the monastery as Prior, Fr John succeeded him as parish priest. He loved his parish, the people of Workintgon, and Cumbria, and the 25 years he spent among them. In 1989 he had his first heart attack. He made a good recovery, and returned to Yorkshire to take up an appointment as parish priest at St John's Priory in Easingwold, where he remained for five years until his second heart attack in January 1995.
His pastoral interests extended beyond his parish boundaries. He wrote on Scripture for the Catholic Herald and provided sermon outlines for The Clergy Review. When he was working in Cumbria, the Bishop of Lancaster appointed him to the diocesan commissions for education and for youth. In the monastic world, he concerned himself particularly with promoting the interests of the English Benedictine nuns. He saw in their enclosed, prayer-centred lives the true heart of monasticism and the channel by which God makes pastoral work fruitful.
The fabric of his own life was woven from prayer, hard work and devotion, sustained and guided by a deep Catholic faith. He was a man of strong character with forthright and well-defined views, sometimes emphatically expressed. He did not retire after his first heart attack, and could not have easily done so, even after his second. He was working as parish priest of Easingwold until a month before his death at the age of 74. He seemed to be making a steady recovery in York District Hospital, but on 16th February he collapsed and died. Though his death was sudden, it was not unprepared. He was ready, and more than that, eager to complete his life's journey.
Desmond John MACAULEY 1921 May 31 b. London ed Ampleforth 1939 Oct 11 Habit Ampleforth 1940 Oct 14 Simple Vows 1941 Feb 5,11,12 Tonsure and Minor Orders 1943 Oct 14 Solemn Vows 1946 Jul 21 Subdeacon 1947 Jul 21 Deacon 1948 Jul 18 Priest 1942 - 1945 St Benet’s Oxford Geography, English & Latin (Pass) 1955 Sept 6 Monastery Guestmaster 1962 Sept 20 St Alban’s Warrington Assistant 1964 Sept Workington 1977 - 1989 Parish Priest Workington 1989 Sept Parish Priest Easingwold 1995 Feb 16 Died in York District Hospital Publications Ampleforth Journal: Robert Rattrie Articles: on Bible - Catholic Herald on Sunday Sermons - Clergy Review Dioc. of Lancaster - Education Commission - Youth Commission