The Archdiocese of Liverpool was saddened to learn of the death of Fr Joseph Robinson. He was 86 years old, and in the 62nd year of the priesthood.

Joseph Anthony Robinson was born in Liverpool on 9 March 1938, the son of William and Jennie Robinson. He attended St Vincent’s Primary School in the city, before entering the junior seminary at Upholland.

After completing his philosophical and theological studies in the senior seminary, he was ordained in the college chapel at Upholland by Archbishop Heenan on 8 June 1963.

Following ordination, he served as a curate in several parish across the archdiocese: Sacred Heart, St Helens (1963-70); St Hugh of Lincoln, Wavertree (1970-71); St Sebastian, Liverpool (1971-74); St George, Maghull (1974-80), where he had chaplaincy responsibilities at Maricourt High School; and St Aidan, Huyton (1980-82).

In December 1982, he took up his first appointment as parish priest at St Peter and St Michael, Woolston. For the next decade he ministered contentedly in this parish.

When the time came for him to move to his next appointment, Bishop Vincent Malone observed that, “All the signs had been of a quietly happy parish getting on with its twentieth century duties with some imagination and a lot of affection.”

His second appointment as parish priest was at St Julie’s, Eccleston (1992-96) and his letter from Bishop Malone encouraged him “to take particular care of your episcopal parishioner”.

This was, of course, alluding to the fact that Bishop Kevin O’Connor lived in the parish. Fr Robinson was blessed, too, by the presence of the Carmelite monastery within his parish, though he was never the designated chaplain to the nuns.

In October 1996, he moved to St John’s, Burscough, to take up what would become his final appointment as parish priest. He was clearly very happy and content in this more rural parish, as he stayed for the next twenty years until his retirement in 2016.

To the parish at Burscough he brought his characteristic fidelity and kindliness, as well as overseeing a significant reordering of the church.

In retirement, he lived at St George’s Court in Maghull, joining a small community of retired priests living in the flats next to St George’s Church.

He died peacefully in the early evening of Thursday 21 November 2024, aged 86 years and in the 62nd year of the priesthood.

May he rest in peace.

His funeral details are as follows:

Requiem Mass: Saturday 30 November at 11.00am. St George’s Church, Station Road, Maghull, Liverpool, L31 3DF. Archbishop Malcolm will preside at this Mass.

Burial will follow at St John’s, Burscough, at 2.00pm.