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Spiritan Mission Resource & Heritage Centre – Glowing Embers

EMBERSGLOWING

Spiritan Mission Resource & Heritage Centre June 2016

RecentAcquisitions

It is nearly 20 years on since…

In 1997 Fr. Seán O’Connell wrote an invitation letter toeach member of the Irish Province. The invitation wasfor each confrère to write his own biopic or

autobiographical sketch. At that time there were 522members in the province and 115 replies were received,a one to five response; some were one pagers andothers extended to three and four pages. One confrèremade an oral recording and sent in the cassette.

Today, almost 20 years later I would like to renew thisinvitation in asking each member of the province toconsider contributing their own personal curriculumvitae to the Heritage and Archives Centre. Such a pageor pages would indeed be of lasting value.

Building up a collection of biographical data enables usto preserve and retain personal histories. When writingif you care to add an observation or point to anexperience along life’s way our collections are furtherenriched. Personal histories can sometimes containideas that are vehicles for intergenerationalcommunication which can influence the thinking andideas of others, thus empowering Spiritans for theirmission.

We would be delighted if you accept and act on thisinvitation. Today there are 242 members in our provinceso let’s be bold and ambitious and aim for a 100%response rate this time round.

Fr. Brian O’Toole

Fan (Nigerian) from Fr. Tony Heerey

‘Tree of Life’ carving (Tanzania)from Fr Frank Caffrey

Jaricot Medal presented to Fr Séamus Galvin by

National Office of PMS Lyon

Embers Newsletter May 2016:Layout 1 10/05/2016 12:54


2 – June 2016

Four Countries, FFour Life Journeys, On

GHANA Population: 27 million (2015)

Life expectancy: 60.5

Religions: Christian 63%, indigenous beliefs 21%, Islam 16%

Independence: 6 March 1957

The first missionaries: Ghana was part of the Vicariate of thetwo Guineas confided to the Holy Ghost Congregation in 1842.Fr. Louis Gommenginger only visited Kumasi from SierraLeone in 1879. Irish Spiritans arrived in 1971, on the invitationof Bishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong to assist the local church inKumasi Diocese.

Fr. JAMES DUNCAN arrived in Onitsha in 1957, where he didpastoral ministry for the next twelve years at Dunokofia andNnewi. In 1972 he was assigned to Angola. After three yearshe was reassigned to Papua New Guinea where he remaineduntil 1981. James came to Ghana in 1982 where he worked inthe parish of La on the northern slopes of the city of Accra. In1991 he was invited to work with the Catholic Secretariatwhich serves the whole Church of Ghana. Part of the work

Spiritan Mission Today: Since 2011 Mauritius is aCircumscription within The Union of Circumscriptions of theIndian Ocean (UCOI). It has 15 members. Others in UCOI are:Madagascar, Reunion, Seychelles and India.

here was the running of a small factory producing medicines inorder to keep costs down. This small factory played a vital role inalleviating both physical and financial hardship for the people.During these years he resided at St. Peter’s in Osu. In 2002 hecame to the Provincial House and parish at Adenta which hadbeen an outstation of La parish. Fr. James returned to Ireland inMarch 2014.

Spiritan Mission Today: The Circumscription Ghana became aProvince in 2009 and is part of The Union of Circumscriptions ofWest Africa. It has 91 Ghanaian priests, 40 of these on missionad extra and 5 Brothers. There are 44 students in formation.

MAURITIUSPopulation: 1,319,906 (2015)


Religions: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, other Christian 6.4%, Islam 17.3%

Independence: 12 March 1968

The first missionaries to come to Mauritius were Vincentians,in 1721 Mgr. William Collier and Fr Jacques Laval came toMauritius in 1841. The first Irish SpiritanBr Vincent de Paul (Daniel) McNally arrived in Mauritius inNovember 1872 and the last Fr Pat Murphy left in 2013.

Fr. PAT MURPHY was ordained in 1960, and was appointed toMauritius the Indian Ocean Island. From 1962 to 1977 hetaught in the Collège du St. Esprit. He moved into pastoralwork in 1979 in the Parish of St. Pierre Rivière du Rempart. Hewas Parish Priest in St. Francis of Assisi, Pamplemousses(1979-1993), The Holy Heart of Mary from 1993, and thenback to St. Pierre for a second time (2006-12) and finally NotreDame du Rosaire, Quatre Bornes until his return to Ireland in2013.


Glowing Embers – Spiritan Mission Resource & Heritage Centre

June 2016 – 3

Four Spiritans, One Common Mission

SIERRA LEONEPopulation: 6.1 million (2015)


Religions: Islam 60%, indigenous 30%, Christian 10%

Independence: 27 April 1961.

The first missionaries: The Congregation came to SierraLeone in 1864. Two French Spiritans, Fr. Edward Blanchet andFr. Joseph Koeberlé arrived from The Gambia on February12th of that year. Fr Thomas Bracken was the first Irish Spiritanto come to Freetown and he arrived on September 12th 1865.

Fr. PADDY RYAN came to Sierra Leone in October 1974. Hisfirst year was mainly spent at Gerihun and then at Pujehun 75-77. He was then Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish inSerabu. From 1980 he served in Moyamba. He was in Manofrom ‘83 until ’91 and in 1993 was in St. Teresa’s parish in Bowhere he also served as District Bursar. From 1997 he workedin the Parishes of Glasthule and Bawnogue in Dublin withsome months in Melbourne, Australia. In 2003 he wasappointed to Kasumu, Kigoma in Tanzania. In 2005 hereturned to Ireland and did chaplaincy in Beaumount Hospital

NIGERIAPopulation: 182,217.342

Life expectance: Male 50.9 female 51.1

Religion: Muslims: 50.4%; Christians 48.2% Indigenous belief 1.4%

Independence: 1 October 1960

The first missionaries: Fr. Joseph Lutz, PrefectApostolic, landed at Onitsha on December 5th 1885. OtherFrench Spiritans followed: Fr. Joseph Reling (1896-1898), Fr. Rene Pawlas (1898-1900), Fr. Leo Lejeune (1900-1905).Lejeune made “schools” the key to his apostolate, working withhim for three years was Fr. Joseph Shanahan who shared hisview that education was the key to evangelisation. This was hisapproach during his time as Prefect Apostolic and then Bishop(1905-1931).

Fr. PADDY FOLEY arrived in Onitsha in 1955 to teach at St.Patrick’s TTC in Obolo-Eke. In 1959 he transferred to Nsukkaand in 1962 was at Emene. He worked in pastoral care atNsukka and Isienu in 1968. After studying social developmentin Antigonish, Canada, he was assigned to the Rural Citizens

Training Center at Abwa inthe Makurdi diocese. He

became its director in1971 andfunctioned also asdiocesan co-ordinator for ‘Social

Development’ and‘Justice and Peace’. In

1994 Fr. Paddy became a KusuvElder for his work in Bridgebuilding. In 2000, he was honouredby Catholic Agricultural Services and by Patrick Foley CollegeAbwa and in 2002 by the Etulu Students’ Union. After 44 yearsat Abwa and 60 years in Nigeria Fr. Paddy returned toKimmage in 2014.

Spiritan Mission Today: Union of SpiritanCircumscriptions of Nigeria (USCN)In October 2010 the Nigerian Province was reorganised intoa Union of two Provinces: Nigeria South East, Nigeria NorthEast and two Foundations: Nigeria North West, Nigeria SouthWest. In 2013 there were 647 professed members with 183on mission ad extra and 217 students within USCN.

and from 2007 he was bursar in Kimmage Manor. In 2009 hereturned to Sierra Leone to Gerihun Parish and also served as theFinancial Administrator for the Diocese of Bo until 2011. He thenbecame Acting Director of the Pastoral Centre Kenema andParish Priest in the Immaculate Conception Parish, Burma. In2015 he served as Bursar for the Province.

Spiritan Mission Today: Sierra Leone is a Foundation within theUnion of Circumscriptions of West Africa (UCWA). The Spiritanpresence in Liberia is entrusted to the Foundation of SierraLeone. The foundation has19 priests, 3 deacons and 10 students in formation.



The Spiritan archives of1955 allude to thepotential establishment of

a post primary school in theTempleogue/Walkinstown area.In September 1966,Templeogue College, a Catholicsecondary school, opened itsdoors for the education of boysliving in Templeogue and thesurrounding areas. The HolyGhost Fathers, laterally knownas the Spiritans had establishedits fifth school in Ireland. ThePrincipal Fr John Horgan andhis three staff presided over 42students; fifty years later theCollege caters for 700 studentsand has a teaching staff of 50.

The educational experience wasunderpinned by the collegemotto: ‘In Virtue Scientia’ whichwas interpreted as “educationrooted in values”. Thiscontinues to inform thespiritual, academic and cultural

life of the College. Team sportsare recognised as central topersonal development andextra-curricular activitiesconstitute an essentialcomponent of College life andstudents are encouraged toparticipate.

The Parents’ Association andPast Pupils Union have engagedpositively with the school overthe years for fundraising,consultation and advice tomanagement. In September2015 a beautiful MemorialGarden was constructed at thefront of the College in memoryof the students and staff whohad died in the past 49 years.The Past Pupils assumedresponsibility for thefunding,design andconstruction of the Garden.

The College continues torespond to the educationalneeds of students in what isnow a wide constituency ofSouth Dublin. Its mission is toenable students to reach theirpotential, prepare them forfurther studies, meaningfulwork and become balanced andhappy persons, capable ofengaging with the enterprise ofliving and the challenges of life.

Ms Aoife O’Donnell is the 7thPrincipal to assume the role asthe college celebrates its 50thAnniversary in the 2016-2017academic year.

“This silver communion box was found inKimmage Manor Sacristy by Fr. Brendan Heeranand three students from Templeogue Collegedecided to investigate the origins of the box.The silver box has an engraving “Rev. D. O’Sullivan, Killarney, killed in 1916.”

The communion box was made incommemoration of Father Donal O’Sullivan, apriest from Kerry who served alongside theIrish soldiers during the First World War inFrance. He gave the sacraments to thewounded soldiers and celebrated mass withthem. The day before the Battle of the Somme,he heard the soldiers confessions, gave themgeneral absolution and offered the sacrifice ofthe mass for them. He died on the second dayof the battle, on the 7th of July, along withmany of the soldiers he had blessed andcomforted.

Templeogue College’s

Memorial Garden Blessing

By Alex Kavanagh,

Patrick Uduchukwu and Colm Nolan.

50th



June 2016 – 5

Irish Catholic Anti-Communism –The Fahey ConnectionGerard Fahey, PhD student in NUI Galway

The surviving papers ofFather Denis Fahey, whichare contained at the

Spiritan Archives at KimmageManor, Dublin, are a veryimportant part of my researchon the Catholic Church inIreland and its relationship withanti-communism during theCold War era. Fahey’s studiestook him to France and Rome,and continental theologicalideas were a major influence onhis ideas.

From the 1920s onwards, Faheybecame an internationally-known Catholic writer. Hisworks were greatly popularisedin the 1930s by the UnitedStates-based ‘radio priest’

Father Charles Coughlin, whowas influenced by Fahey’s anti-Semitism and anti-Communism.Such was their popularity thatpeople from as far away asUganda, China and Quebecwrote to him asking for hisbooks. Communism was afrequent theme of Fahey’smany works, such as TheTragedy of James Connolly, TheRulers of Russia, and TheKingdom of Christ andOrganised Naturalism. Faheyargued that communism was aSatanic revolt against God, and,claiming that the RussianRevolution of 1917 was led byJews, argued that it was the‘most recent development in

the age-long struggle waged bythe Jewish nation’ against theCatholic Church.

While staunch opposition tocommunism was very much themainstream viewpoint of theCatholic Church in the era,Fahey’s particularlyconspiratorial and extremeviews were unrepresentative ofboth the Holy Ghost Order andthe Church in Ireland morebroadly. While Archbishop JohnCharles McQuaid, himself amember of the Holy GhostOrder, enjoyed a warmrelationship with Fahey early inhis clerical career, by Fahey’sdeath he had becomeextremely reluctant to grant thepriest permission to publish, inlarge part due to thecampaigning of Fahey’s MariaDuce organisation.

In the course of my research, Ireally enjoyed my visits toKimmage Manor. The groundsare very pleasant to walkaround and the staff in theArchives could not have beenkinder or more accommodating.My visits to Kimmage Manorhave greatly assisted theprogress of my PhD overall, andI would recommend anyoneinterested in the history of Irishcatholicism to pay them a visit.

My visits to Kimmage Manor have greatly assisted the progressof my PhD overall, and I would recommend anyone interested inthe history of Irish Catholicism to pay them a visit.



6 – June 2016

Brothers Novitiate 1956-71The Holy Ghost Orderpurchased Bishopscourt withsixty acres of land in 1955. Thehouse was circa 3 kilometresfrom Navan, Co. Meath. Itbecame a Novitiate for Brothersshortly afterwards. This wasblessed and formally opened bythe Bishop of Meath, Rev. Dr.Kyne on St. Patrick’s Day 1956.He was assisted in this task byRev. Robert Madigan C.S.Sp, ofFanagans (Brother’sPostulancy), Kimmage whobecame the Superior of thisnew community and also thefirst Novice Master of the

Brothers. To mark the occasionan inaugural mass wascelebrated by Rev. P. O’ConnorC.S.Sp, the Provincial Superiorof Ireland and it was attendedby a large number of guestsfrom St. Columba’s College,Navan, Kimmage Manor,Kilshane, Tipperary anddiocesan clergy. The Provincialstated during the proceedingsthat the Superior Generalgreatly appreciated thegenerous welcome given to theNovitiate by the Bishop ofMeath. He stressed that itssignificance could not beunderestimated as there was a

great need for Spiritan Brothersto play their part in assisting themission of the congregation. Inits first six years we find amongthe novices Brothers Augustine,Conleth, Albert, Vincent, Gerardand Ignatius. Br. Colman wasprofessed in 1961 and spent hisentire religious life inArdbraccan; he died in 2008.The new Novitiate began inearnest with thecommencement of landcultivation which was greatlyexpedited by the purchase of atractor in 1959 so that between1961-2 fields were completelyreseeded.

Metalwork

Generalate Visitation 1963. seated are The Superior General Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and Community Superior, Fr. Pat Doyle

Woodwork

Looking at camera: (l-r): Fr. Bob Madigan &

Brs. Con and Colman

A new residence was built bythe novices directed by Br.Senan Smith. The printing pressfor the province was run herealongside skills training inmetalwork and woodwork. In1969 a meeting was held todiscuss the future purpose ofthis establishment attended byFrs. Tim O Driscoll, Dick Caplice,Robert Madigan, Des O’Sullivan,Willy Fitzpatrick and Br.Alphonses at which it wasdecided to move the studentsto Kimmage. Consequently,Ardbraccan ceased to functionas the Brothers Novitiate inAugust 1971. Since then leadersof the community have beenFrs.: R. Caplice, T. O’Brien, P. Cloonan, G. Gannon, R. O’Dwyer, P. Casey, V. Comer,F. Egan, Br. Conleth and P. Conaty.

Spiritans 60 yearsat ArdbracanSéamus Maguire PhD, Research Assistant


June 2016 – 7

Ardbraccan Townland Ardbraccan means St. Breccan’s height previouslycalled Magh Tortain. In pagantimes it had a history of treeand well worship transformedtoday into the pilgrim holy wellsof St. Ultan’s, St. Brigid’s andSpawell. Here, St. Patrickestablished the Church ofDomnach Tortain and St. Ultanalso founded an orphanage in653. His pupil St. Tireachainestablished a monastery whichlasted until the 12th century.Henry IV bequeathedArdbraccan to the Bishops ofMeath. The medieval St. Ultan’sChurch was rebuilt in 1750. TheWhite Quarry 3 miles to thenorth provided limestone forthe Custom House, Bank ofIreland and Trinity College inDublin. A stained glass windowfrom the nearby deconsecratedProtestant St. Ultan’s Churchwas donated and installed inthe Spiritan Chapel in 1992.

Ardbraccan House Ardbraccan Palace/House twomiles from Navan, Co. Meathwas the stately residence of theChurch of Ireland Bishops ofMeath between 1776-1885. Itwas built 1774-6 and occupiedthe site of an important castlefrom the 1641-52 period.Lebanese Cedars were plantedin the surrounds. This palacewas considered too costly tomaintain and was sold. Thebishop’s residence was thentransferred to the smaller GlebeHouse in 1885 renamed‘Bishopscourt.’ In 2013,American businessman CharlesNoell became the new owner ofArdbraccan House including120 acres of gardens, parklandand woodlands.

Ardbraccan ParishFollowing the reformation in1541 the Catholic bishop wasordered to leave Ardbraccanand was replaced by aProtestant Church of Ireland

Dublin where religious andsocial workers involved incommunity building hadexperienced high levels ofoccupational fatigue. It wasofficially, opened in June 1983and run on a not for profit basis.It offered self-catering hostelstyle accommodation for up to24 people, meeting rooms forhire and a non-denominationaloratory for spiritual reflection.

One of its original aims was topromote justice and peaceamong the sociallydisadvantaged and it wouldlater become an all-Irelandcommunity developmentproject. It provided servicessuch as counselling, spiritualityof the labyrinth and socialanalysis training.

Groups who have used AnTobar include parish andcommunity groups, travellergroups, cross border groups,school retreats, adult faitheducation, and drug abusesupport groups. Team membersover the years: M. Kane, P. Donovan, S. Ryan, D. Coffey,P. Galvin, V. McDevitt, J. Fitzpatrick, N. Colgan,B.McLaughlin, B. Murtagh, M. Murray and P. O’Toole.

Since 2012 ‘Ardbraccan – An Tobar’ continues to redefineand renew itself by makingcreative responses tocommunity living and ministriesof service.


Covered well – An Tobar

ArdbraccanGatehouse

An Tobar 1982-2012Following the Irish ProvincialChapter of 1982 part of therenewal in Ardbraccan was thesetting up of ‘An Tobar - TheWell’. This was an ideal locationfor a place of respite wherepeople who worked with thesocially disadvantaged couldcome to rest and recuperateand also to meet other like-minded groups and individualsin order to exchange ideas andfaith. Its inspiration came fromSpiritans working in inner city

counterpart who retained theparish’s name. However afterEmancipation in 1829 a Catholicparish structure was re-established there but adoptedthe name Bohermeen (the‘smooth road’ to Tara) in orderto differentiate between thetwo. Br. Colman was buried inthe Bohermeen cemetery on23rd Deceember, 2008.


‘This is Your Life’Irish Missionary Films and FilmmakingEdel Robinson is an artist filmaker and researcher who livesand works in Drogheda, Co. Louth.

Since 2009 I have beenindependently collectingand cataloguing films

made and commissioned byIrish missionary societies (1930-1997). Thirteen Catholicmissionary societies includingthe Holy Ghost Fathers have sofar participated in this filmresearch project, providing overone hundred films now housedin the IFI, Irish Film Archive*.More recent are twenty filmtitles from Concern Worldwidecovering the years 1968-1986.

Irish missionary films weremade to promote vocations,volunteers and boostfundraising and belong to atradition of film and filmmakingby male and female religiousthat has been forgotten. Thepurpose of this work is to

compile a catalogue of films byall missionary societies on theisland of Ireland as the basis ofa critical analysis of thesevaluable films for publication.Films made and commissionedby Irish missionary societies arecinematically accomplishedworks of art and of immenseeducational value, especiallynow as crisis numbers ofrefugees seek asylum in theEuropean Union.

I came to the Spiritan MissionResource Centre to find outmore about Fr. Michael DohenyC.S.SP (1915-1992), thefilmmaker, specifically thosefilms he made for Concernthroughout thirty countriesaround the world and laterFiroda Communications,(named after his old school,

Firoda National School,Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny) afilm production company he setup with charitable status in1987.

8 – June 2016


Housed in the Spiritan Archivesis a VHS video recording of‘This is Your Life’ a popular BBCbiographical documentaryseries hosted by TV presenterEamon Andrews. This episodefrom 1984 features Fr. Mike ashe was affectionately knownand his younger brother Kevin,also a Holy Ghost Father, asthey are taken through their lifeassisted by ‘the big red book.’To the surprised andunsuspecting brothers, guestsarrive such as Lady Sue Ryderand Leonard Cheshire ofLeonard Cheshire Disability andalso the author FrederickForsyth. Actress GlendaJackson and humanitarianMother Teresa of Calcutta aswell as US senator TedKennedy, who could not bethere in person, but whorelayed their tributes to the lifeand work of these twomissionary priests via televisionlink. This was the first time everthat two priests were featuredon the This is Your Lifeprogramme.

[*There are 41 films deposited by theIrish province in the Irish Film Archive.]

Fr. Jimmy O’Toole worked withConcern from 1968 until his death

in 1975. While he was FieldDirector in the Yemen Arab

Republic he became involved infilm making and realised

his latent talent.


John Chisholm C.S.Sp (1922-2014) a well- known and highly regardedacademic was a keen linguist and spoke Irish fluently and had a workingknowledge of other languages such as Croatian and Arabic. This latter

interest can be explained by his lesser known role as Vice-Chairman of theIrish-Arab Society which deserves more scrutiny.

In 1969 the Irish-Arab Society wasestablished. The purpose of thisnew organisation was to promoteunderstanding and cultural andcommercial links with the ArabWorld. This group also highlightedhumanitarian projects in theMiddle-East which could benefitfrom some Irish involvement. Thefirst Dublin Oriental Festival washeld in 1976. The same year JohnChisholm toured Iraq with theFianna Fáil deputy CharlesHaughey which in a few short yearsresulted in significant Irishinvolvement in the provision ofhealthcare in that country. It alsosignalled the establishment inIreland of medical trainingprogrammes for Arab students andthe development of a lucrative beefexport trade with the Arab World.This new group also had a politicalagenda and actively supported the

became the Director of the Eurabiaoffice in Dublin which was anorganisation and publicationfounded in Paris by Lucien Bitterlinin 1972 in order to co-ordinate theefforts of European Arab friendshipsocieties.

Simon Srouji of NazarethThrough his interest in Arabaffairs Fr. John Chisholm R.I.P.learned about Simon Srouji andwrote about him in theMissionary Annals of 1973.Simon was born into a Catholicfamily in Nazareth in 1878.Later at an orphanage inBethlehem he becameproficient in Italian and Frenchand learnt tailoring. In 1896 hebecame a Salesian Brother andwould work for more than fourdecades in Beit Jamal as ateacher, miller, tailor, sacristanand infirmarian.

June 2016 – 9


Fr John Chishom with Yasser Arafat P.L.O C-in-C

Simon Srouji of Nazareth

creation of a Palestinian state andworked to promote the acceptanceof the P.L.O. as the legitimatepolitical representatives of thePalestinian people. It sought tocounter the influence of the Irish-Israel Friendship League and theunchallenged prominence given, atthis time, to the Israeli position inthe Irish Press. In response to thisJohn Chisholm became an oftenstrident yet erudite critic of Israelipolicy and a reasoned champion ofthe Palestinian cause, in support ofwhich he always emphasised strictadherence to UN resolutions andinternational law. In conjunctionwith this much of the programmeof the Irish Arab Society wasexpressed through the medium oftheir official quarterly publicationIrish-Arab News, 1975-85. JohnChisholm became editor of thispublication in the 1970s. He also

He served both Catholics andMuslims in the vicinity of BeitJamal. Thus his name becamesynonymous with kindness andsanctity. Finally after 47 yearsof ministry he succumbed tomalaria and died on the 27November 1943 at the age of65. He was buried in the cryptof St. Stephen’s Church, BeitJamal. Since his death hislegend has growninternationally amongst bothChristians and Moslems and hisimpartial duty of care to alldenominations is seen as apractical demonstration of themodern spirit of ecumenism.

John Chisholm and the Arab WorldBrian O’Toole



10 – June 2016

Also in the Archives…

The Spiritan Archive holds 42 of the 47volumes of The Capuchin Annual. This

was published in Dublin from 1930 until 1977.Its ethos was the promotion of and educationin Christian values and a Catholic way of life.The editors’ goal was to make the Irishpeople aware and proud of their rich history,language, literary and artistic heritage.

The President with contemporaries of his school days,Cardinal d'Alton and Monsignor Alfred O'Rahilly;

also in the picture are Most Reverend Charles Heerey and John McQuaid and Mr Frank Duff.

Preparing for the Kimmage pageant. Make-up artist is Stephen Walsh, Kevin Lewis plays the

role of Robert Emmet, Desmond O’Rourke of Padraig Pearse and old man by Brian McLoughlin.

The cover of the Missionary Annals 1966

Soldiers of Destiny –The Kimmage Pageant

Eamon de Valera, the schoolboy, 1899

The cyclist De Valera withhis friend, Jim Sweeney

Thomas McDonagh –Rockwell boy, poet and patriot

1916 – As commemorated in the Missionary Annals in 1966


World War One

Bishop Henry A. GOGARTY1884-1931

Stationed at Nairobi he worked aschaplain to the hospital where therewere already many victims of the war.He was given the status of MilitaryChaplain with the rank of captain bythe British authorities.

Fr. Denis FAHEY1883-1954

During 1916-19, when he was ill inSwitzerland he acted as chaplain toBritish soldiers interned at Müren inthe Bernese Oberland near Lucerne.

Fr. Bernard CAREY1865-1932

He volunteered as a military chaplainand saw service during the Great Warin the Middle East.

Fr. David O’BRIEN 1876-1932

In 1916 he was called on to serve asmilitary chaplain at the front inBelgium.

Fr. Thomas F. O’BRIEN 1871-1928

He served in Salonika, 1916-18. Afterthe 1918-20 Armistice he went aschaplain with a troopship to India, toMauritius and to Japan. He wasawarded the Military Medal (M.C.) andthe O.B.E., and was several timesmentioned in despatches.

Bishop BartholomewWILSON 1884-1938

He volunteered as Military Chaplainand served with the 15th Division. Oneof his daring deeds was to bring infrom ‘No Man’s Land’ five woundedmen – the last of them being shot offhis back. He was awarded the MilitaryCross and recommended for the V.C.“for conspicuous gallantry anddevotion to duty in action.” and wasfeatured for this in the LondonGazette.

World War Two

Fr. William Leo BROLLY1903-1984

From 1943 to 1945 he was Army chaplain with WestAfrican troops in the Middle East and North Africa.

Fr. Desmond P. CONNAUGHTON1905-1962

In autumn 1940 he joined the army as chaplain,Kenya-Middle-East-India Command.

Fr. James Gerard CURRAN1906-1944

He offered his services in 1941 and was attached tothe Irish Guards. During their period of waiting formore active service, he and members of the Guardsbuilt a public church.

Fr. Michael W. GILMORE 1910-2000

In Nigeria he was called on to act as Chaplain to theBritish Army.

Fr. Denis KENNEDY 1898-1984

Between 1941 and 1945 he was a military chaplainwith the Allied forces.

Fr. Thomas MAHER 1903-1992

On the outbreak of World War 11 Fr Tom served aschaplain to the King’s African Rifles, a post heretained until 1952.

Fr. Kevin WHELAN1905-1964

He volunteered 1942, he was posted to Singapore. Aweek after his arrival, Singapore fell to the Japanese,and he was interned, with the whole garrison ofBritish and Australian troops. He was once mentionedin despatches. It is reported that Fr. Kevin wasrescued from the Japanese concentration camp onthe direct intercession by Mountbatten, acting on amessage from an amateur radio ham. He emergedafter 1945 in poor health.

Fr. Brendan TIMON1907-2000

In Nigeria, during 1941-46, he was called on to serveas Army Chaplain.

Fr. Aloysius P. DEMPSEY1914–2000

In 1943 he volunteered as a chaplain to the Royal AirForce from 1943-1947.

Irish Spiritan Army Chaplains


June 2016 – 11



12 – June 2016

Living out our legacyBrian O’Toole

“We are aware that we owe much to the past, tothose who have gone before us. Their vision, theircourage and their generosity brought us to wherewe are today. We celebrate the legacy of those whohave gone before us. In spite of their limitationsthey inspire us on our journey and we seek toemulate their zeal, commitment and self-sacrifice.Our future is born out of that past.”

(Fr. John Fogarty speaking at the TransCanada Chapter 2014)

Père Jules Leman,Irish Province

Founder and Superior 1860-80

Fr. Laurence Healy,First Irish Superior

1900-07

We Spiritans are missionaries. Our vocationas missionary religious is to allow theSpirit of Christ to be present in our lives

and thus present in our world, as a force for itstransformation into the kingdom of God. This is thecore and essence of missionary activity, in whichwe are all called to participate, no matter howmuch infirmity or illness cuts some of us off fromthe external world of human activity.

or in ministry. But we will be what we have beensince the earliest of times; disciples called by Christto commit ourselves totally to him.

Our Spiritan Rule of Life is a compendium of theGospels. Provincial and General Chapters, give ussnapshots of how we are interpreting the SRL at aparticular time in history. Each Chapter shows howwe are living out the charism of our founders in thechurch of our day; in God’s present day. “It is anactualisation of our Rule; it restates the meaning ofour Spiritan vocation in the context of the worldtoday” (Introduction to Maynooth Document).

Our Spiritan history shows how the province /congregation evolved as new questions arose thatrequired engagement in matters unheard of byprevious generations. Our current grappling withissues resonates with how our tradition has

In many ways today we are being called to go backto the basics of the Gospel, the way of Jesus andthe early church in simplicity and humility. The callis to come together as people of faith, to berenewed in the fundamental truths of who we areas Spiritans and what the Church is; this will buildon what we hold in common, through our Baptism.We will not be today or in the future as we were inthe past; either in age, or in numbers, or in lifestyle,

A ‘new beginning’ inMexico 1971:

Fr. Paddy Townsend

A ‘new beginning’ inBrisbane, Australia 1971:

Fr. George Lahiffe

A ‘new beginning’ in Ethiopia 1972: Br. Augustine O’Keeffee and Fr. Harry Mullin.


Spiritan Mission Resource & Heritage Centre Newsletter – Embers

June 2016 – 13

responded in the past. We will continue toexperience resonance as we appeal to our historyand our experience of the Holy Spirit, yet we mustbe aware, knowing that it is the nature of the Spiritto do something new, to surprise us with insightsthat draw us to a new place in our communitiesand in God’s mission.

For the past to cross over into the future: “What isneeded is a contextualised re-reading ofLibermann; reading his texts in the context of thesigns of the times; our own experience; newhistorical insights; the values and vision we sharewith each other; other foundational spiritualexperiences, as well as drawing on the lives ofother Spiritans who serve as role models” (MissionMeeting at Emmaus 2010).

Our energy and enthusiasm for new departuresand new beginnings comes from the fervour or ourfirst fallings in love with Jesus. “Nevertheless, asmall group – with an impossibly ambitious dream,little or no finances or resources, and often nosupport or even outright opposition fromecclesiastical authorities – inspired by a dream,commit itself totally, heart and soul to itsrealisation. This is spontaneous community,without structure or organisation, united by adream and very little else”. (Living MissionInterculturally, 2015, Tony Gittins p165).

burning embers of ourhistory and charism canignite new fires in the livesof others”

Keeping the flame alivewas a motif at the ‘SpiritanMission – Spiritan Family’meeting on October 2015:“The importance ofkeeping faith and missionalive is recognised asimportant for Irish society.We need to be there forthe poor and oppressed.Pastoral outreach inparishes is greatlyappreciated. This isparticularly the case where the Spiritan charism ofbeing close to people, especially in times of crisis,is lived out. Spiritans have a proven track record inmanaging complexities. We can learn from pastmistakes and successes and so identifyopportunities to address the contemporary needfor a faith that does justice”.

A ‘new beginning’ insetting up

‘Narcotics AnonymousCentre’ in Dublin 1981,

Fr. Michael Murray.

A ‘new beginning’ inMinistry to

Overseas Students inIreland 1982:

Fr. Liam O’Sullivan

Our General Chapter in Bagamoyo 2012, “befervent in the Spirit” saw itself as a return to oursources seeking new inspiration and new couragefor our Spiritan life and mission today in verydifferent but no less challenging times. The IrelandEPC 2015 takes us to the brink of yet another newdeparture, “In today’s world of ‘social media’ weseek to be present and speak our story so that the

A ‘new beginning’ in the Spiritan Parish ofBallintubber-Ballymoe, Co. Roscommon, 2010.

The Holy Spirit goes on working at the interiorlevel of our hearts leading us to search for thehidden treasures of our past; the seeds of ourpredecessors germinating underground. Weshould not be surprised that the Holy Spirit shouldlead us back to discover our heritage in order tolead us onwards. Our future, as missionaries, is tobe witnesses to the primacy of God in our lives aspilgrims and humble servants of humankind. “Justas Christ carried out the work of redemption inpoverty and under oppression, so the Church iscalled to follow the same path in communicating tomen the fruit of salvation”. (Lumen Gentium No 8).

A ‘new beginning’, theopening of SPIRASI in

1999.


55 Years at Kilshane, Novice Masters 1924-1979

In 1980 the Novitiate was at Kilshane for one month and then transferred to Spiritan House, North Circular Road, Dublin.Fr. Michael Cahill was the Acting Novice Director for this year. In 1981 the Novitiate was spent between Kilshane and

Carysfort Training College. From 1982 onwards the Novitiate was located at Cypress Grove in Templeogue, Dublin. TheDirectors of Novices were: Fr. Hugh Boyle 1981-86, Fr. Michael Kane 1986-92, Fr. John Kingston 1992-1998. Since 1990the Irish Province Novitiate at Templeogue had become an International European Novitiate.

Fr. Tom Gough1936-48

Fr. Bill Higgins 1948-56

Fr. Pearse Moloney 1956–66

Fr. Willie Nugent 1966–74

Fr. Noel Banahan 1974–79

Fr. Hugh Boyle 1981-86

Fr. Michael Kane1986-92

Fr. John Kingston1992-98

Fr. John McCarthy 1933–36

(later Archbishop of Nairobi)

Fr. Hugh Evans1924-33


14 – June 2016

And Novice Directors after 1979


June 2016 – 15

Contact: Brian O’Toole

Tel: 406 4324

Email: [email protected]

Walk-in hours: 9am–12 noon (Monday to Friday)

By appointment: 2pm–4pm (Monday to Friday)

Libermann Library

Contact: Ollie Connolly

Tel: 406 4456


Walk-in hours: 10.30am–12.30pm(Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Archives

Contact: Margaret Bluett

Tel: 406 4355


Walk-in hours: 9.30am–12.45pm (Monday to Thursday)

Visuals

Contact: Dolorés Stewart

Tel: 406 4347


Walk-in hours:(Tuesday 2pm-4pm Thursday 10am-1pm)

The Centre Advisory Committee:

Ms. Deirdre Carpenter (Secretary),Ms. Marguerite Curran,

Ms. Marie Finnerty,Ms. Ann Kinsella, Fr. Noel Moyihan,

Fr. Brian O’Toole (Chair),Fr. Michael Reynolds,

Mr. Myles Ryan, Fr. Paddy Ryan, Fr. Marc Whelan

CorrectionsGlowing Embers June 2015

Page 1: The impression mayhave been given that therewere two Associations ofChurch Archivists. This was notthe case; it was just a change ofname.

Fr. Michel Archange Nkongfrom the Cameroon Province

has now completed a year asintern with us. He will continuethis internship as he progressesthrough an MA in HistoricalArchives at NUI Maynooth.Email: [email protected]

Mr Seamus Maguire has beenworking part-time as Research

Assistant over this past year. Aftergraduating with an M Litt from UCDand PhD in history from NUIMaynooth he worked with the AllenLibrary (heritage project).Email: [email protected]

Manager

Page 8: The headstone captionshould read “James Brown, Pro Vicar Apostolic, 1835-1903.

Our technology is supported by the generous assistance of Niall Collins.

The Spiritan Mission Resource and Heritage Centre follows the Code of Conduct onImages and Messages upheld by Dóchas.


WELCOME



16 – June 2016

Stewardship includes all aspects of the Province’s heritage.

Special attention will be given to libraries, archives and our

spiritual patrimony.Irish Chapter 2012, No. 52


recent it is nearly 20 years on since… embers/glowing embers... · 2019-10-01 · spiritan...

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