St Joseph's Society
Kevin James Francis Mulhearn was born in Liverpool on 12th August 1926, the son of John and Catherine Mulhearn. He attended St Teresa’s School, Norris Green, and St Edward’s College, Liverpool. Between April 1944 and January 1948 he served successively in the Royal Navy, the Fleet Air Arm and the King’s Liverpool Regiment. After a few months at Campion House, Osterley, he began studies for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland, in September 1948. He was ordained priest by Archbishop William Godfrey on 12th June 1954 in the College chapel at Upholland.
In August 1954 he was appointed assistant priest at St Vincent’s, Liverpool, where he remained for four years. A brief curacy followed at St Mary’s, Blackbrook, St Helens, from 1958 until 1961, when he was invited to become a chaplain in the Royal Air Force. Although he entered the armed forces on a short term commission, his aptitude for this kind of pastoral ministry was quickly recognised. Monsignor John Roche, the Vicar General for the RAF, writing to Archbishop Heenan in February 1963 commented that, ‘…he has proved to be very adaptable, a quality which is particularly necessary in a chaplain, and above all he is a fine priest’ and he requested that Fr Mulhearn be allowed to apply for a permanent commission. Archbishop Beck confirmed this arrangement upon his appointment in 1964 and so Fr Mulhearn served until 1977 as an RAF chaplain at the following bases: RAF Cosford (1961); RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus (1963); RAF Lyneham (1965); RAF Henlow (1968);RAF Muharraq, Bahrain (1970): RAF Laarbruch, Germany (1971); RAF Cosford (1974); RAF Brampton (1975) and RAF Halton (1976). He also had various tours of duty in Malaya, Hong Kong and the Gulf. In October 1977 he retired from the RAF with rank of Group Captain and then served for a few years in parishes in Bahrain and Qatar.
Upon his return to the Archdiocese, Father Mulhearn took up his appointment as Parish Priest at St Joseph’s, Wrightington, in June 1981. He ministered there with great fidelity for well over 30 years until his retirement in September 2013. He continued to live at Wrightington in retirement until increasing frailty necessitated a move to Ince blundell.
His funeral Mass was celebrated at St Joseph’s, Wrightington, on Tuesday 30th June 2016, followed by interment in the churchyard.
May he rest in peace.