John Bourke was born near Ballina, Co. Mayo, in 1903. The family came to England when he was about five and settled at Edmonton, North London. He was the eldest of six children, four sons and two daughters. As a boy he joined the choir of the Church of the Redemptorist Fathers. This early experience in the great musical tradition of the Church was the start of a life-long love for choirs and choral music in which he became moderately expert.
His own voice developed from early treble to a pleasant light tenor and later, after completing his Novitiate at Ampleforth (where he came from two years at Osterley), he became a regular and reliable cantor in the choir.
At St Benet's Hall he read History; he then did his Theology with the Dominicans at Blackfriars, and then studied German, spending six months at the Benedictine Monastery of Grüssau, where he received the Sub-Diaconate. He was ordained Priest at Ampleforth in 1931 and was on the School Staff for a year before beginning his Pastoral work at St Mary's, Bamber Bridge, remaining there four years. In 1937 he was appointed assistant at St Benedict's, Warrington, and after one year there to St Peter's, Liverpool. During his 14 years there he took charge of the choir, bringing together men and women animated by a common love for the great polyphonic Church music of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Always a perfectionist in whatever he did, he gave all his own knowledge, experience and talent to the task of rendering the Mass-singing in the best tradition of reverence and dignity. There was never any thought of mere 'concert performance', but always what was fitting and right for the most sacred and solemn act on this earth.
When the blitz on Liverpool started, one would have expected someone so highly strung to have cracked under the strain of anxiety and terror; but he did not, even though the Priory itself was hit. There was so much more pastoral work to be done, attending to the injured and dying, consoling the people, that he forgot himself in his priestly service.
In addition to his regular parochial duties, Fr Chad was much in demand as a confessor to Religious Sisters and a retreat-giver.
When Fr Bruno Dawson was appointed elsewhere, Fr Chad succeeded him in charge of the Parish, but the burden of this responsibility undermined his health, and after a period of recuperation he was sent as assistant to Fr Edward Croft at Our Lady and St Patrick's, Maryport, in October 1953. Here he took up again the work for which he was so well equipped, the forming and training of a choir. Served loyally by its members, again there was heard at many a Missa Cantata on the great Festivals of the Church and in Holy Week, the lovely strains of Palestrina, di Lasso, Verdana, Vitoria, and others.
His happiness at Maryport was marred by development of phlebitis in both legs. At first this did not inhibit his walks along the coast of the Solway Firth, watching the bird life of the estuary. But gradually he had to shorten the walks and then give them up altogether. This was a great trial to him but much more so was having to give up his daily Mass and his choir work. One never heard a complaint from him: he still had his music on records to enjoy. Eventually gangrene set in in one foot and he was taken to Workington Infirmary and in due course there was no other alternative but to amputate.
After several months at Workington he was transferred to Boarbank Hall Nursing Home at Grange-over-Sands and from there to St Catharine's Convent, 'The Minories', Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for the fitting of his artificial leg. After some months there he was moved to Ince Blundell Hall, Formby. It was evident that he would never make much progress in the use of the artificial leg and his condition gradually deteriorated until towards the end of October 1968 it was seen that he had not long to live. The last Rites were administered and he died peacefully in the Convent of Park House Nursing Home, Waterloo, on 5th November. He was buried at the Abbey, as he wished.
JOHN CHAD BOURKE 5 November 1968
1903 18 Jul Born Ballina Co Mayo
1909-17 Educ London
1920-22 Educ Osterley
1922 Clothed at Ampleforth
1923 Temporary Vows
1926 Solemn Vows
1924-32 Read History & German at St Benet's Hall Oxford & followed the
Theology course at Blackfriars
1929 Subdeacon
1930 Deacon
1931 19 Jul Priest
1932-33 Taught at Ampleforth
1933 Curate at Brownedge
1937 St Benedict's Warrington
1938 St Peter's Liverpool
1952 Parish Priest at St Peter's Liverpool
1953 Relinquished St Peter's Liverpool through ill health
Assistant at Maryport
He was involved at Maryport in a serious road accident & was an invalid for the rest of his life, first at Warwick Bridge then at Maryport
1967 Fnally retired to Ince Blundell Hall
1968 5 Nov Died at Park House Liverpool
Buried at Ampleforth