Just heard the sad news of Martin's death. I lived opposite him in the seminary, and he led the music at my ordination. He was a very good friend. I last saw him when I came to stay with him after his 25th anniversary. He will be fondly remembered by the many seminarians and priests that he influenced over the years.

Fr. Martin we grew up in the same parish In Bramley,we attended st. Peters Guildford together. 20 years ago when I went off the rails you visited me in prison. You travelled a long way to see me. I am always grateful for your friendship, honesty and support. May God grant you the rest you deserve. You were a man for all peoples Sean

I was shocked to learn of Martin's death. We were friends and fellow students at the Royal Academy of Music. Martin was a talented organist and lovely man. I remember travelling to Guildford to play trumpet for him at a couple of special services in Bramley. RIP Martin.

Father Martin was one of those rare and special priests whose influence spread wide and touched the hearts of many.
As a preacher, his simple elucidations of the bible readings at Mass gave us all food for thought,
In 2001, After our daughter Karen's wedding we received many complementary letters from Christian guests referring to our wonderful priest. When in 2007, our daughter Jane, living in Australia, decided to marry Scott, it was Martin who again reached out and made contact with Scott reassuring him and putting him at ease on visits to the UK whilst preparing for marriage. On the day, with his sense of humour, tolerance and understanding, Fr. Martin touched the hearts of many of our diverse congregation of guest.
Fr. Martin served our Parish in so many ways . He sat on the committees of our Catholic Schools and I saw first hand how much work this involved him in during the 12 years I served as school governor.
Fr. Martin was a dedicated , gifted and charismatic priest and very human. He leaves a loyal following and will be greatly missed. God Bless you Father Martin and may you Rest in Peace.

Fr. Martin, You were our parish priest at St Hugh of Lincoln in Knaphill, Woking and baptised our children (now 25 & 27). You taught our whole parish to smile while singing, particularly when singing the word 'joy': Sing it like you mean it! That has stayed with me ever since.
You established stewardship Sunday in the parish, so each year we could all sign up for a role and be involved. It was a powerful way to develop our community. Thank you for all the gifts you shared with us. Rest in peace.

A Tribute from Don Ferruccio Cagna

I deeply regret restrictions did not permit me coming on such a date to Fr
Martin’s funeral at St Paul’s Church.

Fr Martin was a great friend to me. I am grateful for introducing me to the
parish ever since the summer2012.

I was given a precious possibility to know so many parishioner friends and a different way of being a community. I would have liked to talk to him longer than we did and discover a priest of so many experiences and qualifications.
 
Inevitably my being at St Paul's meant his leaving on holiday. However, in
August 2019 his health had become so poor he could not go to France and so
we shared the house together. He was so friendly and hospitable; he even
tried to hide behind his back the terrible cigarette!

Lately, when he had retired and moved to St George’s, he was so pleased to
hear me on the too rare times we could get on the phone together.

May he behold the true Vision after such a long suffering.

Don Ferruccio Cagna, Cantu, Italy

A lovely goodbye for Father Martin. His life was extroidenary , he touched the lives of everyone he met. Thank You Father Martin. REST IN PEACE.

Wonderful Requiem Mass for our dear Fr. Martin yesterday. Just as he would have wanted. Beautiful music and singing by Jo. RIP FR.Martin.

Martin was so kind and generous in all his dealings with our family weddings

RIP Father Martin, although we lived in Australia at the time he married us in 1999 at St Pauls and was so kind to My Mum in her dying months. A gentle man and a gentleman. Rest peacefully and thank you x

Dear Father Martin,
you welcomed me back into the church after a long absence .
No judgement no reprisals just kindness and understanding.
You helped me through cancer by kind words and prayers.
Your services were bright and cheerful even when you were feeling so poorly. I am so glad to have known you and miss your kind heart. Rest in peace

Father Martin was a real character and so talented in music. I first met him at Ushaw College where we were students in 1977. My deepest sympathies to his family, friends and parishioners on this sad day. May he rest in peace and rise to eternal life. Jim

God Bless you Father Martin
Thankyou for your caring kindness.
I hope there is a corner of Heaven set aside so you can play the organ loudly.
All your favourite Music.
Rest in peace

Fr Martin was curate in St Joseph’s when I arrived in Guildford in the mid 80’s. He was joyful presence in the parish and a wonderful inspiration to us ‘younger’ members of the parish creating a space for us to grow in faith, friendship and in the wider community. He was a wise and gentle support to me in difficult times and being the generous hearted man that he was, he gave us the use of the presbytery to allow us to hold a small reception following the Memorial Mass he offered for my recently deceased husband. I still recall the words of his homily. Rest in Peace Fr Martin, knowing that you touched, in such a positive way, the lives of so many. Grace Bradley

May you rest in peace Farther Martin, you supported me and the Bailey family throughout may years and you had a huge influence on my faith. You baptised me, helped me with my first Holy Communion and Confirmation. Your sprit will live on within the community at St Pauls and you will be missed dearly. You where a kind, caring, and inspirational priest. God bless you and thank you!

I first met Father Martin when he became our priest at St Pauls. I was cook/housekeeper at the presbytery and I was rather worried when I heard he was a very good cook. He soon put me at ease and we got on very well. At Christmas and other special occasions he treated his staff to a lovely meal, always cooking his own Christmas cake and puddings, which were delicious.
When Peter and I celebrated our Golden wedding anniversary, Father Martin celebrated mass and we renewed our vows.
Once a month we had a family mass at St Pauls, he was wonderful with the children, talking to them on their level.
I learnt a lot from his thoughtful and easy to understand homilies. He was a great boss and parish priest, he will be sadly missed by all our family.
Rest in Peace, Father Martin.

I am so sad to hear the news that Fr Martin had passed away. He was such a caring man, and has been a huge part of my life at St Paul's, from baptising me, to my first holy communion, and I had hoped one day my marriage. I know that he will be resting peacefully with the angles in heaven! His presence at St Paul's will be felt and he will be forever missed. God bless and RIP Fr Xox

Father Martin was so welcoming, kind and caring. I really enjoyed his sermons that were always very thoughtful and thought provoking. He will be truly missed Love Nicky and the Griffiths family xx

I wonder how many people know that Martin was in the film The Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. An early role.
His teenage years were funded by playing the organ at weddings and funerals all over Surrey. He was a superb musician and subsequently, exciting liturgist.

On behalf on the 5th Haywards Heath St Pauls Scouts Group, we were very sad to learn of Father Martins passing recently.

The support that Father Martin provided,  to the Scout Group was invaluable. Especially on two occasions in the past,  where he helped to prevent the group from folding. 

His involvement was exacting, measured and always on hand at the right moment.

He was always supportive in relation to Scout church parades.

Fred Thomas

Group Scout Leader 5th Haywards Heath (St Paul's) Scout Group

Fr Martin was a very special man who played an important part in our lives and the lives of many in Guildford in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. His patience, humility and irrepressible joy for life drove and inspired so many good things that happened at St Joseph’s and in the wider community. He was a great teacher and minister, sharing his many talents freely with us and welcoming everyone to the party. More than anything he was a warm and loving human being as comfortable in the pub or the presbytery as he was in the pulpit or the cathedral.
Fr Martin was a good friend to both of us and helped create the circumstances in which we met, through his work with RCIA and with the St Joseph’s music group. Along with Mgr Pat and Fr Rob he celebrated our marriage with us, and we spent a very memorable Thanksgiving with him and some of his new friends in Chicago while he was on sabbatical there. He will always have a special place in our hearts. Rest in Peace, Martin.
Mike & Julia Boyle

Fr. Martin. You brought the joy of your faith to the children, the teachers and to the leadership of St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School. You brought comfort to many in their hour of need, and you listened and you counselled. You gave time to myself and my parents, sharing treasured memories of your life. You brought your joy of music into the church and spoke with depth and eloquence, and not without humour. You touched the soul of your parish. Fr. Martin, you will be remembered with much affection and love, and today, you rest in your church. May you rest in peace.

Just remembering the excellent times we had in Lourdes with HCPT group 26
A great spiritual leader who helped me find my way
Thanks for everything Fr Martin

Fr Martin married us on 24 th August 1991, 30 years ago this year.

He was instrumental in bringing me back to the church after a few years away. The 18-30 discussion group, the 6.30 pm mass and the Renew programme changed my life for ever. I made life long friends who are still around me now. I remember Fr Martin and Chris coming to see us in the rose garden next to the library in Guildford on the first national sleep out pint in hand! Encouraging us! His musical talent and encouragement of all with any musical and singing ability created a vibrant, musical liturgy at all masses. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. REST IN PEACE MARTIN love Linda and Thomas.

It was a great privilege to have known Farther Martin after we moved to St Paul s parish seven years ago . His love and caring warmth for all his parishioners was so evident as soon as we entered the church .
We will miss him greatly as will so many people whose lives he touched over his life time . A very special man.
May you rest in peace Father x

Father Martin your amazing homilies always relatable to our every day lives and food for thought along with your powerful singing voice. Thank you for your commitment and service to our parish along with your kindness and genoristy to me. RIP

Sometimes we might be fearful of death, assuming it’s radically different to life, but like a beautiful wave, eventually it has to return to the ocean.

Dear Fr Martin- a truly special Priest , always welcoming and an excellent musician. . We all enjoyed attending his Masses with his meaningful sermons- always easy to follow and understand, and full of music and singing . He retired very early (due to ill health) and now has died far too young.
He will be missed by all. Xx

If Dad (Deacon Gerard to many of you) and Father Martin were like brothers, then to me Martin was that slightly kooky uncle who sat in the corner offering some of his gin and occasionally suggesting one should be better.

I have such fond memories of 20+ years of Martin being in our lives, not just as our priest, mentor, etc, but as a true part of the family. Be it Christmas dinner (I have noticed while looking through photos that he and Dad had an "off duty" uniform that they wore for the meal too), birthday meals which we shared as our birthdays were a week apart or just an occasional Sunday roast - he was there for every big family celebration, because he was family.

It was an honour to know Martin, and I was glad to be able to be his friend, especially towards the end. While his health deteriorated, his wit and humour definitely did not, and his enthusiasm for new things stayed true to the end. Turns out we would have made quite the florists, had our paths in life been different.

Requiescat in pace, my friend. I'll see you down the road.

What I will remember most about Fr. Martin is not his deep faith or his great sermons which were always insightful, or even his undeniable love of cooking which I was fortunate enough to enjoy; but his great joy in reaching members of the congregation who thought that they were safe at the back from getting drenched in holy water on Palm Sunday and his great understanding of humanity with all its challenges. Fr. Martin was a humorous and understanding priest and I will always be grateful to have been part of his community and he will be greatly missed.

Fr Martin was a wonderful priest, a true inspiration. Whilst at Haywards Heath, he supported me through some really tough times, and was there during happier times too. I will always remember him. His priestly love, kindness and gentleness touched me deeply. May he rest in peace

I first met Father Martin when he was saying mass at the Napp Hill church while I was visiting my cousin. he was very young and very blond cracking jokes. I was so pleased to see him join St Pauls. He was absolutely the right fit for our parish.  He was so modest. I told him that i just did not feel worthy enough to read at mass. He replied 'and nor am I'. In latter years we shared our 'feet' problems for a few minutes every time we met. I would like to offer my condolences to his family , friends and all who loved him. God bless and rest in peace.

We have fond memories of Fr Martin from the time he was a young and exuberant curate at Our Lady Help of Christians, West Byfleet, in the 1970s as well as during the ten years we have belonged to St Paul's parish. Here are a few:

1. I, Terry, remember that I was playing guitar in the folk group at the time when Fr Martin decided he wanted to try out a rather ambitious version of the psalm entitled 'You, Lord, have the message of eternal life'. We had to learn the syncopated music and Fr Martin occupied the pulpit encouraging the congregation to sing the chorus. In the event, it sounded very good.
2. On one occasion, there was a farewell concert for our then PP, Fr Michael Reynell, in the Marist School Hall, and wearing a maroon velvet jacket, Fr Martin sat at a grand piano while he played and sang 'A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square'!
3. We were also parent helpers in the confirmation programmes which Fr Martin ran which included a weekend at Wonersh for the candidates and helpers. On the final evening in the drawing room with a blazing fire in the hearth, Fr Martin invited the candidates to write down on a piece of paper whatever worried them most and then fold it, say a private prayer, and throw the paper in the fire. Very moving.
4. He also used to gather the confirmation group for a Last Supper re-enactment of the ancient Jewish liturgy for Passover. The adults served up a Seder meal of roast lamb with all the Jewish trimmings as described in the bible and Fr Martin would guide us through the ancient prayers and readings from Exodus. Something the candidates would never forget.

So, thank you Fr Martin for your care for us and our children over the years and for your unique style of preaching to inspire us.

With much love, Terry & Sylvia Higham

Father Martin welcomed me back into the church after years of not attending, we like to call you a sleeping Catholic he told me. He was kind and non-judgemental. He guided us through Baptisms and First Communions. Such a lovely man taken way too soon. RIP Father Martin.
Maggie, Kieran, Catrina and Liam

We first met Fr. Martin at the Diocesan Music and Liturgy weekends at Sayers Common and we were then blessed to have him as Parish Priest at St. Leonards on Sea in the second half of the 1990s.  I was privileged to have been his Liturgy Coordinator during those years.  Fr. Martin was an inspirational Parish Priest, innovative, dynamic, encouraging, warm and friendly.  RIP Fr. Martin and make beautiful music in your new heavenly home!

               Father Martin

You were there when I was ill and you listened.
You were there to support my family on the marriage of our daughter
You were there on Sundays giving an uplifting Homily
You were there with Gerard, affectionately called by me the Two Amigos,
Alas, Covid stopped me from seeing you, annoyingly,
And now your ministry is over, we have to let you go
Rest In Peace Father Martin, love Marie, Rory and Charlie.
     

Dearest Fr Martin,
You were an inspiration for many during your time at St Joseph’s in Guildford. For us personally you were the human face of the Catholic Clergy that was welcoming, encouraging and supportive of our small steps to engaging in first the Renew Program and later the Marriage Preparation Team that you established. Your warmth, charism, energy and infectious enthusiasm inspired us to grow as a parish in so many ways.
You were a very talented musician and possessed an amazing voice, to this day we still hear your voice singing the doxology. Your spirit lives on in the many lives you have touched and the many souls you have brought closer to God. You will always occupy a special place in our hearts. May you rest in Peace.
Carol and Bill

Our heartfelt Sympathy goes to all Who knew Father Martin. He Married Us in 2007 all-most Married Eamon To Eamon our lovely memory of how Funny He was. He Baptised all 4 of our Children & Laid Our Baby Boy To rest he was Their when he was needed in our darkest Days. We will always remember his kind words.
We will Remember him with a Smile. May you Rest in Peace Father Martin.  God bless his Soul.

We send dear Father Martin's wider family, fellow clergy and parishioners of St Paul's our deepest sympathy following Father's death. What a great loss Father Martin's absence will be to you. 
Many of us in the parishes of Our Lady Help of Christians, West Byfleet and St Thomas More, Byfleet, remember Father Martin with gratitude and great affection. We retain the fondest memories of him powerfully impacting our parishes and Catholic schools in the 1980s, despite his personal humility. His many talents were always applied in the interest of others.
We also had the joy of being in Lourdes with Father Martin and attending Mass at Hosanna House as he celebrated Mass in French for us and the Hosanna House Sisters. We can see him now at the chapel altar framed by the light of the Pyrenees.

We thank God for his heartfelt vocation and his joyous self.

Fr Martin was a close friend to our family, especially to my Dad - Gerard Irwin. He helped guide Dad on his journey to becoming a deacon. He helped me and my wife during our preparations for marriage, and was our priest during the happiest day of our lives. He was there almost every Christmas Day and for meals with our family.

When my Dad passed away, Fr Martin was there for us. He helped Mum. He helped my brother. He helped me. I'm eternally grateful for his kindness, friendship, and support, and I will certainly miss him. To me, even though we're not related by blood, he was a part of our family.

But it's not just our family that Fr Martin has helped in the past. He was the pillar of the community at St Pauls for many years, and I'm proud of what he has built and achieved. I'm sure that Fr Martin is catching up with Gerard, and also his family. Rest in peace Fr Martin.

May the choirs of angels come to greet you,
May they speed you to paradise,
May the Lord enfold you in his mercy
May you find eternal life.

Ernest Sands

I met Martin first aged 15 when our schools merged and we shared the dubious privilege of attending Mr Edwards’ ‘O level music classes. It was clear from the start that Martin could have taught us far more successfully than poor Mr Edwards, who was appalled at having to teach GIRLS in his last few years at St Peter’s in Merrow near Guildford. From 1971-74 Martin and I shared lots of music-making, taking part in music festivals (he played, I sang), singing together with a group called the Sudpré Singers and sharing the stage in a production of ‘The Gondoliers’ by Gilbert and Sullivan. I will never forget the choreographer trying to teach Martin to skip!
Just after we left school in September 1974, Martin played the organ while I tried to sing at my father’s funeral.
As the only son of a Polish father and an Irish mother, he was always destined for the priesthood but was determined to attend the Royal Academy of Music before going up to the Seminary at Ushaw.
Martin was godfather to our second son Thomas just a week before his ordination in 1983. When he moved to Haywards Heath we hoped to see more of him but he was always so busy with parish work. Ironically, he served as a Governor at St Paul’s (where my husband John Flower was headteacher) during the period during which the new school was built, and he presided at John’s retirement mass in 2009.
He was hopeless at using his mobile phone to keep in touch, so I surprised him on his 63rd birthday by tracking him down at the nursing home in Littlehampton and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ as he had a smoke in the garden.
I’m so very sad not to have seen him near the end, and would have loved to say goodbye to my dear old friend at his funeral. I will never forget him.

Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave
I know, but I do not approve
And I am not resigned

From Katherine Gunning

Dearest Father Martin, I miss you. I arrived in Haywards Heath just before you and when you came to St Paul's I felt like I finally belonged. I miss your kindness, your encouragement and your sense of humour. It makes me laugh when I remember you sending me home from mass the night I went into labour with Sydney and although I am crying now I know that you are finally at peace surrounded by all the friends and family we have loved and lost.

May you rest in peace. With love always, Anna, Rods, Syd and Dee Dee

My family was truly lucky to have Father Martin as a parish priest. He guided us through Baptisms, First Reconciliations, First Communions, Confirmations and a Funeral. A great priest who gave great sermons and advice. A lovely man. May he rest in peace.

It was always a joy to hear Fr Martin playing the organ and singing in his fine voice. He had such a passion for music and a beautiful way of delivering a homily so that you always came away with something to think about. He had boundless compassion and cared deeply for us all. He is at peace now

I knew and taught Martin when he was a young lad at St Peters.It was obvious then that he was gifted, but as I taught PE his gifts did not extent to my area of the curriculum. However he never held this against me and later he became a friend, playing at the weddings of both my niece and my daughter. What I admired about him was that although possessing such talent Martin was always self-deprecating about his abilities and that is a rare quality. God bless from all my family. David Caswell

Dear Fr Martin, you will be greatly missed by all of us who had the privilege to have you as our parish priest for the last 20 years. We loved the emphasis of having a large host, the big ciborium and chalice, at the celebration of the Mass, very visual and important for everyone to see. We loved hearing you sing, even though what we hear is not the same as every other parishioner with perfect hearing, it still sounded great to us when you left the microphone on, enabling us to hear some beautiful sound through our hearing aid loop, that didn’t happen often as you were worried of blowing the eardrum of all parishioners. My husband Peter was always grateful for your thoughtfulness as you discreetly signal to let him know which Eucharistic prayer you were using each Sunday. Rest in peace Fr Martin, enjoy singing with the angels, and pray for us as we will pray for you too.

Dear Fr Martin, how he will be missed by so many people. We got to know him when he came to St Joseph's, Guildford in the 1980s. The Renew programme was about to start and he inspired so many of us. Through him I joined the Liturgy team and learned so much from him. His major impact for us though was his vision for Marriage Preparation. He invited us to join a team he was setting up and arranged training for us all. He was so supportive and enthusiastic about this initiative and continued to be, even after moving on from St Joseph's. He became a true friend and we are still as committed today, after 30 years, to providing Marriage Preparation for engaged couples and we have a great team. That is a great legacy in itself. Music in the parish flourished under him and we always enjoyed hearing him sing. His singing of the Exultet at the Easter Vigil is particularly memorable. We have lost a wonderful priest, musician, encourager and friend and we will miss him very much. Gone from us too early but may he rest now in Peace. With love and prayers, Tina & John Nichols

Father Martin inspired us all as a remarkable and compassionate man,
who brought enjoyment and love into Parish life. He was a hero in the truest sense of the word. We owe him a great debt of honour, and must never forget what he did for us. Thank You Father Martin. REST IN PEACE.