John Fitzsimmons

Who was John Fitzsimmons?

The Reverend John Fitzsimmons was a Scottish Roman Catholic priest and radio presenter who presented The Greetings radio program on BBC Radio Scotland for many years.

John Fitzsimmons was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, in 1939. He was ordained priest of the Diocese of Paisley in Rome in 1963. Involved in broadcasting for more than 40 years, he had also served as the rector of the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. In addition to his work at BBC Scotland, Fitzsimmons was known for his sometimes controversial criticisms of the Catholic Church hierarchy.

After a long illness, John Fitzsimmons died in his sixty ninth year on May 17, 2008, in Gourock. Maggie Cunningham, the director of programmes for BBC Scotland, said of Fitzsimmons, "He was a big man with a big personality, erudite and compassionate, and anybody who met or worked with Father John would benefit from his life-enhancing qualities."