Welcoming Redemptorist priest Fr. Len Murphy dies

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Vancouver

The Redemptorist priest, who once advised Alfred Hitchcock in the making of a movie, died in Vancouver Feb. 14. He was 85.

“He was a good conferrer and a good priest, very dedicated,” said Father Joe Murphy, a retired Redemptorist who replaced Father Len as St. Alphonsus pastor in 1985. “He started a lot of prayer groups (at St. Alphonsus), some of which are still going.”

Murphy was born Oct. 9, 1919 in the Irish community of Valcatier, Que., and educated in Quebec City.

In 1936 he entered St. Mary’s College in Brockville, On. In novitiate in Saint John, N.B., under Father Arthur Colongue, Murphy was professed a Redemptorist on Aug. 15, 1942. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Aylmer, Que. and theology at St. Alphonsus Seminary in Woodstock, Ont. Bishop Kidd of London, Ont., ordained him to the priesthood June 29, 1947.

“He was the most hospitable, most welcoming person you could ever find.” - Fr. Jack Spicer

Over the next 50 years he served across Canada as missionary, pastor, administrator and chaplain. He began his parish ministry in 1949 at St. Patrick’s Parish in Quebec City and turned west in 1954. In Edmonton he served twice, 1954-56 and 1977-84. He also served in Redemptorist parishes in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Moose Jaw, SK.

“We are all going to miss him,” said Redemptorist Father Jack Spicer, another former pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish. “He was the most hospitable, most welcoming person you could ever find.”

A gifted Redemptorist with great charisma, Murphy early on showed his organizational talent in the exceptional youth program he inspired at St. Patrick’s. The program was strong enough to attract the likes of hockey legend Jean Beliveau.

In the early 1950s, Murphy served as technical advisor to Hollywood’s Alfred Hitchcock, who shot parts of the thriller I Confess at St. Patrick’s. He also coached actor Montgomery Cliff, who starred as a priest in the movie.

For seven years Murphy was director of the Pastoral Centre of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. In 1973-74 he did research on prayer groups in 44 American states, developing a parish mission prayer program, which he successfully introduced in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Moose Jaw.

During the late 1980s, while preaching parish missions, Murphy fell and broke his ankle leading to severe osteoporosis that curtailed his mobility and preaching career.

He retired to Vancouver’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in 1989 and stayed there until 1997, when he was transferred to Youville Centre nursing home. Even though Murphy was confined to a wheelchair for the last few years of his life, he still managed to serve as a reserve chaplain to the Royal Air Force.

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