In November, I had the privilege of celebrating a milestone with Fr. May, a retired priest who resides in Rotherham. Fr. May, who served faithfully for many years as the parish priest at St. Mary Magdalene’s Church in Maltby, marked his 99th birthday last month—a testament to a life lived with dedication to God and community.
I accompanied four Sixth Form students on a visit to meet Fr. May at the end of November. The evening was so joyful and a memorable experience for our young people. Spending an hour in Fr. May’s presence was such a Blessing and an opportunity to reflect on the wisdom and warmth he so graciously shared with us.
Here are some reflections from our students about the visit:
- Me and my friends went to visit to Fr. May in Rotherham to share our interests, ambitions and values. Together, we discussed the importance of faith, love and absolute trust in living our lives, the way Christ would want us to. I found it very educational and I felt extremely privileged to talk to such a wise and kind priest. I am proud to be acting in dedication to our Lord Jesus Christ. A special thanks to our hard-working Chaplain, Suzanne, for making all these opportunities possible for us and other young people in our school. By Joey
- Visiting Fr May with other 6th form students was a truly heartfelt experience, I am grateful for the time he took out of his evening to speak with us. I was inspired by his generosity of spirit and unwavering devotion to God, especially as he is 99 years old. His prayers and messages were very uplifting, and I wish him all the best. By Gift
- I was very glad that I had the opportunity to visit Fr May, who is a priest aged 99! He is so wise. I listened to all the things he had to say; such as the parable of Jesus calming the storm. It was strange because as Fr May was talking about the story; just being in his presence, felt like I had a sense of calm and peace. It also made me think about my own life, and the love we share with each other and in our school community. We talked about our own lives and how our unique personality can impact our lives, like if you are kind and caring you can help share the love of God with everyone, especially in this time of Advent. By Louisa
- On the 5th of December, I visited Fr May. He shared invaluable life lessons that resonated deeply with all of us. Through his wisdom, I learned that love is the foundation of life—“Life is a love affair”—whether you follow a faith or not. For me, as a Christian, this reaffirmed the importance of my love for God as a guiding principle. Fr May encouraged us to “be adventurous” and take a leap of faith in our lives, reminding us that “you believe before you see, and you see what you believe.” This powerful idea taught me that our mindset shapes our reality. He also left us with a poignant message: “The happy ending is love,” inspiring us to prioritise love in all its forms as the ultimate goal in life. This visit was truly eye-opening for me and will remain a source of encouragement for me in the future. By Jewel
So a massive ‘thank you’ to Fr. May for welcoming us so warmly and sharing part of his incredible story.
May God continue to bless him abundantly in this 100th year of his life.
God Bless.
Suzanne
Chaplain