Obituary Notice

It is with regret that we inform you of the death at 3.30pm on Wednesday 17th August 2016 in Herbert House aged 78 of

Father James Dalziel

Mill Hill Missionary

May he rest in peace.

When Fr James Dalziel was appointed to India for his first mission apostolate he was, in fact, returning to the land of his birth. James, or Jim as he was more familiarly called, was born to John Dalziel and Catherine (neé Brady) on April 8th 1938 in Mysore, India. He had one brother. He was educated at St Aloysius College, Glasgow and Burn Hall, gaining his School Leaving Certificate in 1957. From 1957 – 59 he studied Philosophy at Roosendaal and entered St Joseph’s College Mill Hill to study Theology in 1959. Jim took his Perpetual Oath on 2nd May 1962 and was ordained to the missionary priesthood by George Craven, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster in Mill Hill on 7th July 1963. Later in 1963 Jim started a degree course in Cambridge and completed it at a Technical College with a course in Physics and Chemistry.

Jim began his mission apostolate in India in 1965 and he remained there, with fairly infrequent periods of leave until he was recalled to the British Region on health grounds in 1998, much to his sadness at having to leave India permanently. Jim’s first appointment was to Kashmir, a position he loved, and where he was able to combine pastoral work with his technical skills. In 1970 he went to St John’s Seminary with some misgivings as to his ability to fulfill his obligations. But he had, from the beginning of his Mill Hill life, made up his mind to do what the Society asked of him. But he was very pleased to return to Kashmir after 2 years at the seminary. During his time in India Jim served as chaplain to St John’s Medical College Bangalore for seven years and to the patients and sisters at St Teresa’s Hospital, Hyderabad for four years. He was also very involved in the building of St Joseph’s House Ramanthapur when the Society decided to welcome candidates from the Indian continent.

When Jim returned to the British Region he spent some time on leave and having medical treatment. He spent three years in Durham and the APF Middlesbrough Diocese. In 2001 he was appointed vice-rector of Herbert House where his care and concern for the members was much appreciated, as was his enduring skill with technology. In 2008 he was given a three year appointment as chaplain to the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph but remained there until his own ill health made necessary a return to Herbert House, this time as one being cared for. Jim never lost his love of technology and computers, to the extent that he even had an app on his computer which was a flight simulator. Very frustrated one day he said he could take off and fly with no problem – but kept crashing when he tried to land his ‘plane’. It transpired he was ‘flying’ Concorde!

Jim’s funeral Mass will be at Herbert House at 11.am on Friday 26th August. His body will be received back at 4.30pm on the evening before.

May he rest in peace.