The Gospel of John, chapter one verse 6 reads: "There was a man sent by God. His name was John."

Here lies a man, sent by God and his name is John! Our John was born to humble parents but there was nothing simple about John William Coleman. When he came into this world it was with no pomp and ceremony. He often spoke of the war years as utter misery, yet he came through those years rather triumphantly, setting the pattern of his future life.

When he reached the shores of Africa, he was sporting what became his signature look, the Sean Connery look, something that distinguished him all his life. A few months ago, when he was beginning to look like the cookie monster, all wild and overgrown, trying to persuade him through flattering manipulation, I asked him if Fr. Joseph could give him a trim so that we could see the handsome Sean Connery again. He retorted, why can't I just be the handsome John Coleman. That was enough answer to get him to trim his beard.

Like his Gospel namesake, John was a spirited man. All the messages of condolences that I received over these days, speak the same message: he was kind, of gentle nature, a great sense of humour, a boisterous laughter that will echo through the ages.

Yet John knew suffering too. Arriving in the Community in November last year, he promised me that he would never give me a hard time because as an ex-rector, he knows the pain of having to deal with troublesome confreres. So, when he called Eoin and I terrorist, torturing him, I knew that it was the suffering of the moment speaking and not the real man. When his medical condition altered his character, one could not and did not get upset with him. In a sense, John died twice. Firstly, when his mind left him and secondly when his soul departed from his body. How sad it was to have known the spirited man, now so weak and vulnerable.

Lamenting to a friend of the difficulty in seeing John descending into helplessness, he responded, "Let his life be a mirror to you." This, I think, is important to us. We look at Fr. John's life and mirror our own reflection therein.

• John demanded perfection in himself, his work, his person. Only excellence was good enough. He was worse than a terrorist when it came to liturgy – no compromise! The liturgy, he taught was the high point of our worship and nothing less than the best must be always offered to God. What about you and I? Do we settle for less, the mediocre, the watered down?
• John had a deep spirituality, a great love for Our Lord and His Holy Mother, Mary. The Eucharist was central to him and towards the end he was always concerned as to whether he had celebrated Mass or not. It was of utmost importance to him to have daily Communion with his Master. That dreaded night before he fell and landed in hospital, I found him out of bed trying to get into his comfy chair, all the time repeating the words: "Jesus help me." For the better part of an hour, I prayed with him. He prayed for his home country, England and for more vocations. What about you and I? What does our personal relationship with the Lord look like?
• John's life spoke of service to all people. How many times, in his confusion, was he not convinced of the fact that he had to fix something or other before the confreres arrive for a meeting or a retreat; or having to prepare the place before the bishops arrive for a conference. He would not accept that at almost 92 years of age he did not need to work. It was as if he had to give his all to everyone to the very end. What about you and I? Can we truly say that we stand, serving humanity or do we serve our own interest and desires?
• John was a protector. He vehemently defended those put in his charge. Those who passed through his hands of formation will remember that we often spoke of him as the overprotective mother hen. No one in his care were ever to be hurt. What about you and I? When we see our sister or brother suffering, do we remain silent or do we go to their aid, helping and protecting them?
• John was studious. All his life he studied, bettering himself from what he was yesterday. He was knowledgeable about his various fields of work. He took an interest in people, wanting to know them better. He believed that when he opened his mouth to speak to God's people, that he had to do so with knowledge on the subject and thus show respect to his listeners. What about you and I? We claim to be disciples of the Lord. Do we know Jesus, the subject, the object, the alpha, and omega of our existence?

John pleased God and was loved by God. Striving always for perfection, he was blessed with long years. God's grace was with him, and God watched over his holy one, His beloved son, John "Malahle" Coleman. May he rest from his labours, may his deeds live on in us.

Fr. John Coleman passed away on 27 July 2022.

Fr. Jonathan Daniels SDB