Bruce Kent

British ecclesiastic, a Roman Catholic priest who became involved in politics, left the church and married. The middle child, he had a brother 18 months older and a sister two years younger, with a comfortable upbringing that included nannies and maids. Religion was always part of life due to his Catholic mom, though his dad was not involved. The day began with mass and continued with Catholic schools. In 1940, his dad sent the family to live with their Canadian relatives for safetys sake and they spent three years in Montreal. When the war seemed close to a conclusion, his dad brought them back to London in September 1943. Kents dad, a factory owner, was a gentle and kindly man except when he drank and then he became mean. Kent began the typical education of a British youth, that of boarding schools and sports until Christmas 1946, when he toured Europe by bicycle. After his 18th birthday he was called up for his two years of military service. In the autumn of 1949, he entered Oxford where he read law. Religion remained a strong presence in Kents life along with sports and an active and normal social life. In the fall of 1952, he made his decision to follow a calling and entered seminar collage for six years. He was ordained in late May 1958 at Westminster. Kents first parish was a church in Kensington. As he was promoted to monsignor, he was made private secretary to Cardinal Heenan. The two would at times take off for a rousing game of tennis, enjoying the anonymity of not being recognized in their shorts and sweats. In May 1966, Kent was sent to London University as the parish priest where he served for eight years, strongly involved with young people and the issues of modern life. With a stocky build and a pleasant, open face, he related easily to his parishioners. He had a white lab dog, Arthur, and a mother cat who bore three kittens, Faith, Hope and Charity. His devotion to the church was not without leniency; Father Kent married couples who were not Catholic and wondered why vows of celibacy should prohibit human love. His activities began to become more overtly away from the church as he became a sought-after speaker for peace groups, and he became an enthusiastic member of Pax Christi. His activism began to include a protest of South African apartheid rule, and of germ and chemical warfare. In 1966, he attended a coalition of peace groups; in 1969 during a trip to Biafra, he saw war and suffering first hand; and in Calcutta, he saw starvation and abject poverty. In 1972, his dad died. He and his siblings looked after his mom after then. In the summer of 1974, Kent left his student work and took a sabbatical trip across the United States by bus. Returning home, he went to work with Pax Christi, setting up Catholic youth hostels and working for peace and human rights projects. His activities took him to Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and in January 1980, he began work at the National Peace Council in London. He spent seven happy years saying mass every morning at St. Johns church then going to the office. Kent was deeply involved in the issues of pacifism and care of the homeless and poor. His first experience with the power of the people came with the organization of an outdoor rally at Trafalgar square on 10/26/1980. Attendance numbered some 80,000 people and Father Kent began to be a political figure representing the peace movement. He was named a full time General Secretary of the CND that year wher Read less