Father Joseph Aelred Worden died on June 1st, 1923. Many of our readers will remember him affectionately, not for any great achievements but for the simple and homely kindness which made him the friend of everybody. Although all may recall his ever even temper, his athletic prowess and his fine handsome figure, fewer will know his sterling goodness as a monk and a priest. Prior Raynal always spoke of him as one of the best of the many novices and juniors whom he trained. But being shy and retiring, Father Aelred never really did himself justice. When sent to St Augustine's, Liverpool, soon after his ordination, his head priest, Father Ross, finding him nervous took his turn as preacher while Father Aelred sang the Mass. This was a bad start, but later in life we have heard him give excellent simple addresses to the country people amongst whom most of his life was spent - and once at least he has moved his audience to tears. The truth is that country-born he understood the simple country people, and was able to help them as well as one more learned or eloquent could have done. Everywhere he was beloved by the people, but nowhere so well as at Goosnargh, his last mission, and at Brownedge, where he has lived in retirement for eight years.
Father Aelred was born about a mile from Brownedge Church and was baptised there in March, 1847. Soon afterwards his parents moved to Gregson Lane, where he came under the spiritual care of Father Bede Smith, of Brindle. At the age of thirteen as a small slim boy giving no promise of developing into the fine powerful athlete of later life, he went to Ampleforth. After seven years in the school he joined the order at Belmont in 1867. He returned to Ampleforth in 1871, and was ordained priest in 1875. Very shortly he went on the mission to St Augustine's, Liverpool. After eight years he was sent to Egremont in Cumberland, thence in 1890 to Cleator and in 1891 to Aberford, near Leeds. In 1894 he went to Goosnargh near Preston, where he spent twenty-one years. Up to his sixty-seventh year he had never known a day's illness, nor ever lost a night's sleep except once when he was poisoned by bad mushrooms. The sudden death of two great friends, Father Placid Corlett and Father Basil Clarkson, followed by some private sorrows, so affected him that he broke down and retired.
His end, like his life, was quiet and peaceful. He had a paralytic stroke while visiting his nephew at Walton, and died a week later. He received all the Sacraments of the Church, and during the last two or three days of his life he constantly held up his rosary beads and begged for prayers. It is seldom that a priest spends his last days and is buried in his native place as did Father Worden. Father Prior sang the Mass at his funeral at Brownedge, and Father Burge preached to a large congregation which had come together to show their esteem for a priest, who, though he had accomplished little or no external work - it was never his lot to build a church or large schools - succeeded in the more difficult task of living a life without making an enemy. 'Charity covereth a multitude of sins,' and so we cannot doubt Father Aelred must reap a speedy reward. R.I.P.
JOSEPH AELRED WORDEN 1 June 1923
1847 3 Mar Born Brownedge Lancs
1860-67 Educ Ampleforth
1867 28 Sep Habit Belmont Prior RB Vaughan
1868 6 Oct Simple Profession
1872 23 Feb Solemn Profession Ampleforth Prior B Prest
1873 8 Mar Subdeacon
1874 19 Dec Deacon
1875 18 Sep Priest Bishop R Cornthwaite
1876 Served on missions at St Augustine's Liverpool
1883 May Egremont
1890 Cleator
1891 Apr Aberford
1894 Goosmargh
1915 Jun Invalided to Brownedge
1923 1 Jun Died at Walton-le-Dale