In September 1937, two new boys in St Bede's found themselves sitting next to one another in the refectory and the Study. This was the start of a deep and lasting friendship between Robert Darney Devlin, who came from Edinburgh, and Jerome Rigby, who came from Purley in Surrey, although Fr Luke Rigby recalls that when they first met he could hardly understand Fr Kentigern's strong Scottish accent and that his own southern speech gave the same difficulty to Fr Kentigern.
Robert Devlin was the third son of Thomas and Ann Devlin, born on [2] February 1922. His father was a trawler owner. Fr Kentigern developed strong ties to his family; he was wiry and small in stature, and a person of unbounded energy and enthusiasm, throwing himself into all his activites, whether they were his bent or not. He obtained a Distinction in Geography in the School Certificate, an unusual achievement for that time and was in St Bede's cricket and cross-country teams, and head of his House. He joined the novitiate in September 1941, a difficult time for such a decision. Among his contemporaries were Cardinal Basil Hume, Fr Luke, Fr Edmund and Fr Julian.
He threw himself into everything with immense zest, especially the singing of plain chant: at that time, Fr Laurence B‚venot was at great pains to get the community to make use of their sinuses in voice production, and Fr Kentigern made such efforts to develop this art that his fellow novices swore they could see has sinuses pulsating as he sang in choir, so he was know as 'Sinus K'. The Liturgy was an area he took great pains in and earned for himself the nickname 'Spike Devlin'. But his great asset was that he could laugh at himself, for he was so lively, and it was his great sense of fun and good humour that made him a most valuable companion.
He studied History at Oxford and was one of the three who were the first Amplefordians to study Theology at Fribourg. He was ordained priest in 1950 and in 1952 spent a year teaching at Gilling Castle. From here he moved to the parishes, first to St Mary's at Brownedge, then in 1957 to St Benedict's, Warrington, and after that in 1962 to St Mary's Cardiff. Finally he returned to St Benedict's in 1969 as parish priest. He had a strong interest in Catholic Education and he was Chairman of two Boards of School Governors and served as a member of a third. In 1975 he was made Sub-Economus with a special brief to take care of parish insurance.
In his general approach to Theology and Liturgy, he would have been classed as cautiously progressive. As a historian he was always aware of tradition, but he did not feel himself shackled by it. His years at Fribourg had brought him into touch with some of the early thinking which finally blossomed in Vatican II, and he went along with that without in any way becoming an extremist. An important event took place for him in 1975 when he attended a charismatic renewal conference at Hopwood in Manchester. He went in a rather cautious and defensive frame of mind, having more the intention to observe than become involved. It so happened that at one session he was sitting in the front row and the speaker, Fr Francis McNutt, an American Dominican, invited all those sitting in the front row to come up so that special prayers might be said for them. Fr Kentigern recalled later that he wanted to 'duck out', but at that moment a priest behind him wanted to have a word with him, and so he could not escape, and when this word was finished it was Fr Kentigern's turn to be prayed for by the speaker. Later he declared that he was 'just bowled over', but his whole attitude changed in a remarkable way.
This experience affected his priesthood deeply and God used him in a very special way to help people. His sheer goodness, his kindness and good nature, his flair for warmth and friendship, his compassion and generosity, his prayerfulness were put in a very remarkable way at the disposal of others. He was continually being sought by parishioners and others from other towns, for counsel and prayer. Someone described him as 'Merry-legs', an apt description, for he was always seen hurrying here and there, talking to this person, consoling that, laughing with this one, sympathising with that. He made the faith alive and warm, he made the scriptures live for so many people.
His sudden death on 3 August 1982 while he was on holiday with his family in Edinburgh was a great shock to all. The turnout of clergy and faithful for his funeral Mass bore witness to the esteem with which he was held. It is hard to grasp that his life which was so abundant and energetic has been stilled; yet it is only stilled from our point of view, for death is not a ceasing, it is a going away, or better still a going out of sight, living to the full the new life begun here on earth and so generously accepted and lived.
DOM ROBERT KENTIGERN DEVLIN 3 Aug 1982
1922 2 Feb born Edinburgh
edc Ampleforth
1941 22 Sept Habit Abbot Byrne
1942 8 Jan Tonsure Bishop Shine
1942 23 Sept Simple Vows Abbot Byrne
1945 23 Sept Solemn Vows " "
1946 15 Jan Minor Orders " "
1946 24 Apr Minor Orders " "
1948 18 Jul Subdeacon Bishop Brunner
1949 17 Jul Deacon " "
1950 23 Jul Priest " "
1944-7 Oxford St.Benet's Hall History
1947-9 Fribourg - Theology
1949-52 Taught History at Ampleforth
1952-3 Gilling Castle Staff
1953 23 Sept Bamber Bridge - Assistant
1956-62 Warrington St.Benedict's - Assistant
1962-69 Cardiff St.Mary's - Assistant
1969 Oct Warrington St.Benedict's - Assistant
1975 Sub Economus
1982 3 Aug died of heart attack while on holiday in Edinburgh
1982 9 Aug Buried at Warrington