William Thomas Celestine Sheppard was born at Worcester on July 17th, 1880, his father being an architect. The family were Protestants and did not take it well when this son, then beginning life as a journalist, was received into the Church and presently declared his wish to become a priest. Having made some contact with the English Benedictines through attending Sunday Vespers at Stanbrook, he offered himself as a postulant at Ampleforth. He took the habit at Belmont as Br Celestine on September 3rd, 1901, made his Simple Profession there in the following year and was solemnly professed at Ampleforth on January 6th, 1906. He was ordained priest on May 1st 1910. During his juniorate he spent five years of study at Oxford at Hunter Blair's Hall (now St Benet's), and proved himself an industrious and successful student. Matriculating in 1905, he obtained Second Class Honours in Classical Moderations in 1907 and First Class Honours in the Final School of Theology in 1909. There was a tentative project that he should devote himself to study and to writing, so that he returned to Oxford after taking his degree and spent a further year in residence. During this time, and later, he contributed some articles to the American Ecclesiastical Review. Returning to Ampleforth in the summer of 1910 he taught scripture in the community and from 1911 to 1913 was the energetic and successful parish priest of the village congregation. In 1913 he left Ampleforth for what proved to be the scene of his labours for the rest of his life becoming an assistant priest at St Anne's, Liverpool. He became Incumbent of that church in 1928 and held that office until his death. The strain of war and frequent air-raids told severely upon his strength, so that when a serious operation became necessary at the beginning of this year, he was not in the best condition to stand it. However he went bravely to the ordeal, was operated on in the Purey Cust Nursing Home at York, and died five days after the operation, on January 20th. He was buried at Ampleforth on January 22nd.
Fr Celestine's life was marked throughout by energy and conscientious industry. As an undergraduate at Oxford, as a young priest at Ampleforth, but above all in his missionary career he was an indefatigable worker. In his parish at St Anne's he was exemplary in his devotion to every side of the parochial work, but especially to the duty of preaching and to the labours of the confessional. He exercised an influence also beyond the bounds of his parish, was an incisive writer to the press in defence of Catholic interests, and served on several important diocesan organizations. He did not seek prominence or notoriety, but gave his service unstintingly to the cause of God and His Church. His unselfish devotion to his work made him loved and honoured by his people. He stood high also in the confidence and respect of his brethren of Ampleforth, was regularly elected to the Abbot's Council and was the Delegate of the community at the last four General Chapters.
Throughout his unremitting labours, amid the sombre surroundings of his Liverpool parish, Fr Celestine maintained a quiet and steady courage that revealed his fundamental strength of character. At the same time he rather liked to represent himself as a pessimist and to express pessimistic views on human life and human affairs. He was, indeed, of a serious turn of mind, impatient of a facile optimism or easy content. The grim experiences of his last year at St. Anne's did but confirm him in this mental attitude, so that at the end he was not unready to escape to peace and rest even through the gate of death. He would perhaps have described himself as felix opportunitate mortis. We need not quarrel with the implications of those words or grudge the weary labourer the rest which he has attained. May he rest in peace!
WILLIAM CELESTINE SHEPPARD 20 January 1941
1880 17 Jul Born Worcester of Protestant parents
Educ locally & became a journalist to a Worcester paper
As a young man was received into the Catholic Church
Came as a postulant to Ampleforth
1901 3 Sep Entered the novitiate at Belmont
1902 10 Oct Simple Profession
Studied for his degree at Oxford
1905 Obtained a 1st in the Theology School
1906 6 Jan Solemn Profession
25 Mar Subdeacon
1909 13 Dec Deacon
1910 1 May Priest
Teaching S Scripture to the juniors till 1913
1911-13 In charge of Ampleforth village parish
1913 Sep Assistant at St Anne's Liverpool
1928 Feb Superior at St Anne's Liverpool
Beside his parish work he did much public catholic service in Liverpool on committees of all kinds
1941 20 Jan Died in the Purey Cust Nursing Home York, 5 days after an operation
22 Jan Buried at Ampleforth