Fr. ALEXANDER HUGH BRADSHAW Gainesville, FL formerly of Fairport, NY passed away December 12, 2025.
He was born on March 18, 1941 in Cairo, Egypt, where his father was serving as a British diplomat. He attended schools in England before graduating in Classics and Law at Oriel College, Oxford University. He became a member of Lincoln’s Inn, London, and practiced as a barrister in England. He married and had two daughters. In 1975 he moved with his family to Rochester, New York, where he was an attorney with two law firms, Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle and Wiedman & Vazzana. After seminary formation in Rochester and Rome, Italy he was ordained in 1985 to the priesthood at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Brockport. After three years of ministry at St. John of Rochester, Fairport, he served as pastor at Holy Ghost, Gates and at Our Mother of Sorrows in Greece, returning to St. John of Rochester when he retired.
Predeceased by his parents, John & Joan Bradshaw and survived by his two daughters Caroline (Saul) de Carvalho and Laura (Kevin O’Shea) Mahon and his six grandchildren, Gavin & Garrick Baker, Feliciano (Livya), Susanna, Angelina & Melissa de Carvalho. He is survived also by his sister and two brothers, Gillian (Charles) Crawford in England, Richard (Pamela) Bradshaw in Australia and Dominic (Marie-Helene) Bradshaw in France.
Fr. Bradshaw will lie in State at St. John of Rochester Church Sunday December 21, 2025 2-4PM 8 Wickord Way, Fairport. The Vigil Service of Prayer presided over by Bishop Salvator Matano will begin at 4:30 PM. Monday December 22, 2025 viewing continues at 9:30. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00AM Bishop Salvator Matano presiding. Burial follows at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. All Services will be shown on livestreamed at https://stjohnfairport.org/streaming.
20 responses to “Bradshaw, Fr. Alexander Hugh”
My heart is so sad to read about the passing of Fr. Bradshaw. I once told him that he was the closest thing to God that I had ever met. He was so inspiring and loving. Just a wonderful person and priest. Rest in peace my friend.
Our family was very close to Father Alex, but none more than my parents, John and Marie. They traveled with him on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Seems all that went had an experience that brought them closer to God and each other. I didn’t go but I’ll never forget him. With affection John
One of the most wonderful priests I had the privilege of knowing. May he rest in God’s peace.
Father Alex Bradshaw was an excellent priest, molded by the fact that he was a good & decent man to begin with. He loved and dealt with you by the person you were, not the label people put on you.
He once said, “The beautiful thing about being a priest is the privileged access you have in people’s lives, the trust that is given to you, the affection with which you are held.”.
He earned our every trust and he reached the pinnacle of that affection.
His presence will be missed by many, his reward will be great.
Fly with the Angels Fr. Alex. May you be at peace. -Katie
God Bless him and all of his family and friends.
His life was a blessing to all of us. We were so fortunate to have him as our retired priest at Saint John’s of Rochester. Peace to all his family and friends.
Our hearts are broken to hear of Father Bradshaw’s passing.He was a very special Priest, we were so fortunate to have him at St. John’s of Rochester. We will miss you!
Prayers and Condolences to his dear family and friends.
Our hearts are broken to hear of Father Bradshaw’s passing.He was a very special Priest, we were so fortunate to have him at St. John’s of Rochester. We will miss you!
Prayers and Condolences to his dear family and friends.
So sad I feel sorry for his children and grand children. He as a wonderful man. I will always remember how he showed up at my mom funeral mass and dressed in parking lot in his vestments, they could not ask him to leave if he had his vestments on. As he stood up to speak my father was so happy he knew my mom and she loved him as we all did.
The world was a better place with him in it. Send love to his family for our family.
Fly with the Angels, Alexander. You will be missed. Our children and grandchildren adored you.
Love, Susan
Father Alex had a big following at Saint John Of Rochester’s 8:30 am weekday masses, often starting with a “Class Before Mass.”
First he would sit, cross his legs, and tell the story behind that day in the Catholic calendar. He detailed lives of lesser known Saints, and explained significant events in the history of the church, generously sharing his amazing wealth of knowledge. He not only made the Mass more meaningful, he made us feel privileged to start the day this way.
Thank you, Father Alex. Rest in peace. We miss you and offer heartfelt condolences to your beautiful family.
Alexander was best man at our wedding 57 years ago and godfather to our eldest son. He was a delightful blessing.
Requiescat in pace.
There will never be another Gr. Alex Bradshaw. A very good friend of the Murphys. He got us through a very dark time with his faith & love. RIP good & faithful servant.
There will never be another Fr. Alex Bradshaw. A very good friend of the Murphys. He got us through a very dark time with his faith & love. RIP good & faithful servant.
My entire family adored Father Alex. As members of SJR since 1973, he was always approachable and a man of wisdom who truly was a man of God. My family on west side praised your accomplishments at Mother of Sorrows. May you rest in peace in the arms of our Lord. We were blessed to have you return to us in retirement. My deepest condolences to your daughters and grandchildren. You will be missed Fr. Alex! 🙏🙏🙏
To the family of Fr. Alex Bradshaw. You have a saint as a Father, Grandfather, sister and brothers. He was the most loving man and understanding priest that both my husband and I have ever met. What a blessing that we at St. John’s were able to have come into our lives. I can just imagine how you would explain what you witnessed as you enter heaven. To the family God Bless you all and know we will continue to love and cherish your Father and ours forever.
A great friend who spent many an occasion with us. Who married us at Holy Ghost in 1991. Our hearts are saddened by this loss but happy in the fact that he was in our lives.
So much has been said, written too, But how do you hold a Moonbeam Man in your hand? In your heart, more likely…
Alexander the Great Hugh Bradshaw came to St. John of Rochester by default, really. He’d been a barrister, met a notable person at ‘King Somebody’s’ Birthday Party and would soon marry and find himself embarking on a new life in Rochester NY employed by a prestigious law firm (Nixon Hargrove, I think), all too eager to welcome one of such professional pedigree.
There soon would be two lovely little girls to raise in a culture still new and somewhat awkward for him -no doubt; but he was never one to shirk commitment & responsibility; nor to cave upon receiving a shocking, totally unexpected, out-of-the-blue pronouncement from “said spouse” announcing she wanted her freedom.
(Dare I say such terms as “Gut-punch” & “Gobsmacked” had yet to emerge as common parlance -but I digress.)
Yet there, in that One. Moment. In. Time. the Holiness of Recollection would begin to encircle his grieving heart & soul and proceed to envelop and ennoble it:
to become a Priest.
Scholar that he was, he had been dissuaded of such youthful aspiration by the reigning schoolmasters but suddenly there it was, again, beckoning.
With no hope or assurance that obstacles of such seeming magnitude (ie marriage) could/would /shoukd be overcome, he embarked on the journey of a thousand miles. The triumph? Magnificence made manifest.
For me, he became spiritual director; rescuing me from the wages of sin. Having come of age in the hippie era, to be Catholic was something you refrained from admitting in “polite” conversation; somewhat akin to a curse even.
He began to catechize me beginning with a profound respect for Our Lady of Fatima and her appearance in Portugal in 1917; abiding by Our Lady’s request for Reparations: praying Rosary, honoring Her on First Saturdays, subjecting one’s Soul to the Sacrament of Confession, wearing Brown Scapular, maintaining modesty in dress…
When the Pilgrim Virgin Statue was touring ports-of-call throughout the Diocese, St. John of Rochester was not to be missed. “Oh you simply must come visit Her. She’s gorgeous!” he exhorted.
The next nodal point of exhortation was Father’s pilgrimage to the newly minted Medjugorje. As guest of Bill & Connie Walh (sp?), he returned with unprecedented conviction; his witness echoed throughout the Diocese -echoes still.
Last in the nodal points was the pilgrimage Father led to the Holy Land where his precious parents, John & Joan, joined the tour in Tel Aviv. The privilege of welcoming them & loving them can only be described as meeting living icons of British Aristocracy; accomplished, affirming, endearing and without airs.
And so on this Day of Days, December 22, 2025, when dear Father Alex has now been laid to his Eternal Rest,
what more is there to express than Heartfelt Gratitude for all that he did for so many, the dignity he emulated, the humor he injected, the conviction he exhorted, the Love Sweet Love he poured forth on each of us.
We are forever in his debt.
🙏 Father Alex, please pray for us as you ascend 💫
to your heavenly perch.
🎺 Amen
Alleluia 🎵🎵🎵
Bernadette La Paglia
Naples, Florida
so glad to have found these tributes. I am a cousin of Father Alexander and after my mother died in 1952, his mother Joan took me and my sister into the Bradshaw home at 4 Sydenham Hill.