Tributes have been paid to a much-loved priest who served Cardiff for over four decades. Father Christopher Delaney was a priest in Cardiff for 43 years before he was recalled to Buckfast Abbey in Devon in 2011. He passed away on May 8, 2022 at the age of 89, just a few months short of celebrating his 90th birthday.
Known affectionately as 'Dil' or 'Father Dil,' Father Delaney was previously resident in St Mary of the Angels Church in Canton, Cardiff, and served as a school chaplain at both Bishop Hannon High School and Mary Immaculate High School. A much-loved figure in the Cardiff community, Father Delaney became an "icon" in the Canton area, most recognisable by his bicycle with his mascot teddy bear on the front.
Born on September 26, 1932 in Bristol, Father Delaney had three sisters. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday this year. Originally made a monk at Buckfast in Devon in 1950, Father Delaney practiced in Cardiff for 43 years before being recalled to Buckfast Abbey in 2011. He later returned to Nazareth House in Cardiff. He was a member of the Benedictine Order and, before coming to Cardiff, had worked in Liverpool during the 1960s.
