The Very Rev’d Professor Kevin Alban O. Carm. – An Appreciation

It is with great sadness that the death was announced on 4th May of the Very Rev’d Professor Kevin Alban O. Carm. Since his return to England from Rome in 2014 Fr. Kevin had been very involved with the teaching and delivery of courses at the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts and the Mater Ecclesiae College at St Mary’s, Twickenham. As well as teaching on the Undergraduate and Masters degrees he was a much valued Doctoral supervisor and examiner who will be greatly missed. Fr. Kevin was born in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1958 and made his profession as a Carmelite friar in 1996 having worked for many years as an English language teacher. He studied history at Balliol College, the University of Oxford and theology in Rome and London. He was ordained priest in 2001 and has been Vocations Director and Director of St Jude’s Shrine in the British Province of Carmelites. From 2001 to 2007 he was based in Rome as Secretary General of the whole Order, and from 2007 to 2013 Bursar General. He was elected Prior Provincial of the British Carmelites in 2017 and died whilst serving in this office. Fr Kevin’s doctorate was in the spiritual writings of the medieval English Carmelite, Thomas Netter, awarded from the University of London. It was published in 2010 by Brepols as The Teaching and Impact of the ‘Doctrinale’ of Thomas Netter of Walden (c.1374 – 1430). As well as teaching at St Mary’s he latterly also taught theology at Blackfriars, Oxford and Mariology at Allen Hall, London. Whilst in Rome he taught at the Beda College and helped set up the collaboration with St Mary’s which is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Renowned for his love and enthusiasm for medieval Carmelite spirituality he was a leading expert in the field and contributed much to the establishment of St Mary’s MA in Christian Spirituality. He was a great ‘Italiophile’, loving Roman life and culture, but his heart was deeply connected to Aylesford Priory and the British Carmelites and it is fitting that he died there peacefully on 4th May after a short illness. May he rest in peace.