An only child, Michael was educated at Wellington, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.It was at Cambridge that he began his instruction to be a Catholic, under Monsignor Alfred Gilbey, and he used to say that he was "polished off by 'Zulu' " (for the uninitiated, Canon de Zulueta at the Holy Redeemer, Chelsea). His concern was that the Church lose nothing of its essential message, and since this is conveyed through liturgy, he insisted on fidelity to the liturgical law of the Church and not to supposed interpretations by individuals. The devotion to the Mass at the Oratory is a sign of the great work he has done.The famous generals bearing the name of Napier were Charles, George and William, the three sons of Lady Sarah Napier, daughter of the Duke of Richmond. His period as Provost was a time of great change in the Church, particularly in the Liturgy. Such were his powers of leadership that he was to be re-elected four times, and he ruled with firmness and a sound administrative sense. Brompton is certainly more Roman in the spirit of the hymnwriter Fr Faber, while Birmingham, dominated by Newman, is more English.Michael Napier was ordained in 1959, and was elected Provost in 1969. St Philip Neri was the patron of Palestrina, and the Spanish composer Vittoria was a member of the Roman Oratory Oratories vary in spirit.
It is essentially a military name, and one that befitted Father Michael Napier, former Provost of the London Oratory and Apostolic Visitor for Rome to the 63 Oratories dotted round the world. The Fathers of the Oratory are a distinctive group in the Catholic Church because they are not religious but secular priests who live in a community. They make no vows, but have a three-year novitiate, when they express an intention of stability. This concept was formulated by St Philip Neri in the 16th century. He formed a community round him, based on prayer and devotion to the liturgical life of the Church. This included music, and that is why the London Oratory has such a rich musical tradition. Napier is a name well known to those who have studied the Peninsular Wars of the 19th century.
In typical Ken Stewart fashion he conducted that meeting with fairness, dignity and with his own distinctive dry wit. No one was left in any doubt that he was a man of principle and forthright honesty.Ken Stewart was true to his beliefs and never lost touch with his roots. He will be an inspiration to those who will continue his work.Wayne DavidKenneth Albert Stewart, politician: born Liverpool 28 June 1925; MEP (Labour) for Merseyside West 1984-96; married 1946 Margaret Robertson Vass (one son, two daughters); died Liverpool 2 September 1996.. I well remember, immediately after the 1994 European Parliamentary Elections, the way as the doyen d'age of the parliament's Socialist Group he presided over the first meeting of the new group. Stewart saw this support as essential; he knew better then anyone else that the poverty and unemployment of his home city could only be tackled successfully through European Union support, alongside government intervention.During the last two years of his life, he increasingly suffered ill-health, but continued to attend the European Parliament in both Brussels and Strasbourg and never failed to champion the cause of his constituents at every opportunity.I respected him as an honest socialist and as a committed internationalist.
He was the author of a number of influential reports, including one on maritime safety, which convincingly argued for improved health and safety standards for all seafarers.In addition, he contributed to the successful efforts to secure European Objective 1 classification for Merseyside, and with it pounds 800m of European regional assistance. As chair of the council's housing committee he fought hard, and with a large measure of success, to improve the quality of the city's housing and to pave the way for a complete urban regeneration strategy. During the Second World War, as a Sergeant in the Parachute Regiment, he saw active service in Italy and northern Europe, and it was his first- hand experience of Fascism which made him an implacable opponent of the far right and a true internationalist.Stewart took this commitment to the European Parliament when he won the Euro constituency of Merseyside West from the Conservatives in 1984, and it remained one of his hallmarks throughout his time as a Labour MEP.In the European Parliament, Stewart's efforts were focused primarily on the transport committee, on which he served for many years. In his younger days, as a joiner carpenter, he was an active member of his trade union, UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians), and a long-standing Liverpool city councillor. He was steeped in the working-class politics of Liverpool and carried those politics into the European Parliament, where he never wavered in his convictions nor in his determination to defend and enhance the lives of those he represented. Kenneth Stewart was a proud and brave representative of the people of Merseyside.
