Kilkelly born priest who died after fall laid to rest among his people

A 76-year-old Co. Mayo born priest, who died after falling from a ladder in his church, has been laid to rest in England.

Fr. John T. Cribben, a native of Carrowbeg, Kilkelly, had served as parish priest in Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, for the past 18 years.

He’s believed to have fallen from a ladder at Our Lady and St. Patrick’s Church while dusting. There was no-one else in the church at the time and his body was discovered by a parishioner the following morning.

Fr. Cribben, who was ordained 52 years ago, was a very popular priest and a spokesman for the Bishop of Salford said he will be greatly missed.

Fr. Cribben was a brother of the late Shay Cribben, lead singer with the Riviera Showband in the late 1960s.

Colleagues say Fr. John had become so attached to his parish in the Preston area that he recently had a change of heart about a funeral back home in Ireland. “He was buried in the church grounds – that is what he wanted,” revealed Rural Dean Monsignor John Corcoran, who officiated  at the funeral at Our Lady and St. Patrick’s RC Church in Walton-le-Dale on Friday.

Monsignor Corcoran continued:  “He was going to be buried in Ireland,  that was always his intention when his time came. But he had told a number of parishioners and some priest friends recently that, after almost 18 years in the parish, he had changed his mind. He felt he should really stay with his people. His family back in Ireland were contacted. And when they heard how much his parishioners wanted him to stay here, they generously agreed he should be buried where he felt so much at home.”

Fr.  Cribben was found dead on the floor of his church. It is believed his body could have been there overnight after tumbling 35-feet from a ladder as he cleaned dust from the architrave above a high arch the previous afternoon.

Parishioners say their ‘larger than life priest’ had been doing his own cleaning to save the church money.
One said: “He felt he could manage, even though he was nearly 77. “There was no telling him otherwise. He said as long as he felt fit and able he would continue. He was the same about retiring. He had no intention of leaving as long as he felt he could do the job.”