HE’S prayed for racial harmony, peace and justice.
Now the Right Reverend Monsignor Fallon has revealed he is asking for God’s help for Villa to stay in the Premier League too.
The popular priest has just celebrated his 80th birthday and retired from his role at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Handsworth.
Parishioners old and new turned out to honour his work, including community support during the Handsworth riots in the 1980s and the Lozells riots in 2005.
He also provided a much-needed home to Vietnamese boat people when they arrived in the city in the 1970s and 80s.
Msgr Fallon said he has supported Villa for 50 years.
He has Martin O’Neill and has given a photograph of him with the former manager pride of place in the parish buildings.
Mgr said: “I have supported Villa since my student days, and I watch them when I can. I really hope they stay up.
“I feel for all the Midland clubs and I want them to stay up because it means more emphasis on this part of the world rather than Manchester and London.
“When I went to Villa Park for a match I met Martin, he was very friendly and nice but he had to move on and we hope that Mr Houllier will turn things around.”
Mgr Fallon said he joined the priesthood to help different cultures be more tolerant of each other. He studied peace studies at Bradford University and did a Phd in fostering good relations between Catholicism and Islam.
His thesis is available in Handsworth library and will be housed in the new Library of Birmingham.
Msgr Fallon said: “I have loved being in Handsworth. Inter-religious dialogue is just as important now as it was back then.
“I became a priest because I saw the need then to help people spiritually and also creating community between different cultures – at that time it was between English and Irish, now it’s Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus and people with no religion.
“We have come a long way but we need to do more.”
Parishioner Susi Lightfoot said: “Communities will always remember him for his support during the Lozells and Handsworth riots.
“Also when the Vietnamese boat people came over, Msgr Fallon gave a church property in Wye Cliff Road and provided the Vietnamese community with their own priest.”
Hundreds of people from across the West Midlands, Ireland and as far as Australia attended Msgr Fallon’s 80th birthday celebrations.
Noreen Gough and husband Paul emigrated to Australia 30 years ago but returned to Birmingham to help organise the event.
Mrs Gough said: “I still laugh that I travelled from Bondi Beach to Birmingham to wash dishes for Msgr Fallon.
“I hope and pray that I can do so again for his big 100th birthday bash.”
