Columban Fr William Carrigan RIP

 

Fr William Carrigan

18 July 1933 - 21 May 2022

The funeral took place today in his native Conahy, County Kilkenny, Ireland, of Fr William Carrigan. He died last Saturday after an illness of only a few weeks.

Father Billy spent 45 years in parish, work in Mindanao, Philippines where he showed an extraordinary love for persons, especially children, with little or nothing in life.

You will find a short obituary of Father Billy on the website of the Columbans in Ireland here.

In his retirement years in Ireland Father Billy served the Filipino community in County Kilkenny and surrounding counties. Many of these attended his wake and his funeral Mass. They also started the traditional Filipino novena for the dead, celebrated in the home of the deceased. At the Our Father in the Mass they surrounded his coffin and sang it in Cebuano Visayan, Amahan Namo.

Amahan Namo (Our Father)

St Colman's Church, Conahy, County Kilkenny

[Photo: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage]

Father Carrigan was buried here this morning.

The Rose of Mooncoin

sung by Johnny McEvoy

Irish people have an extraordinary connection with their native county, of which there are 32, particularly in the context of the Irish sports of Hurling and Gaelic Football. Ironically, the county divisions were made by the English.

County Kilkenny is a place where hurling reigns supreme and Father Billy played it well in his youth. The unofficial anthem of the county is The Rose of Mooncoin, a song sung in Croke Park, Dublin, on the many occasions - far too many for those of us not from Kilkenny! - when that county has won the Liam McCarthy Cup in the All-Ireland Hurling Final. Even though we worked in the same area in Mindanao in the 1970s and early 1980s I don't recall hearing Father Billy sing but I know that as a good Kilkenny man, with a strong sense of his roots in Conahy, a rural area, he knew and loved this song.

Indeed, I believe that it was this sense of rootedness in his own community, knowing who he was, that enabled Fr William Carrigan to enter so deeply into the lives of the people, especially the very poor, he served in Mindanao. 

Rest in peace, Father Billy!

Death of Columban Fr Joseph Houston

 

Fr Joseph Houston

14 December 1940 - 14 May 2022

Fr Joseph Houston was from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and was ordained at Easter 1969. He spent the early years of his priesthood in Chile before coming back to Ireland to teach in our seminary. He later returned to Chile but was to spend the last 25 years of his life in China.

Father Joe was a Christian gentleman to the core. Solas na bhFlaitheas air - The light of Heaven upon him.

You will find his obituary here.

My Lagan Love

Played by Innisfree Ceoil, featuring the uilleann (elbow) pipes

The River Lagan flows through Belfast, Father Joe's native city.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Death of Columban Fr Patrick Clarke

 

Fr Patrick Clarke

22 March 1931 - 26 April 2022

Remember in your prayers the soul of Columban Fr Patrick 'Paddy' Clarke who died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday 26 April.

Father Paddy worked for thirty years in Japan and when he came back to Ireland spent eleven years in St Jude's Parish, Templeogue, Dublin, not far from where he grew up. He was much loved there  for his gentleness and kindness and many of the parishioners attended his funeral here in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, this morning.

A unique experience for me at Father Paddy's funeral Mass was that he had written the homily himself, based on Deuteronomy 6:4-7, the First Reading, and Mark 12:28-34, the Gospel, both of which he had chosen for his funeral Mass. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

Father Paddy's obituary is on the website of the Columbans in Ireland here. May he rest in peace.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Composed by JS Bach, transcribed for piano by Myra Hess

played by Daniil Trifonov

Father Paddy loved classical music, piano music in particular.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Death of Columban Fr Noel Doyle

 

Fr Noel Doyle

24 September 1935 - 15 April 2022

Please remember in your prayers the soul of Columban Father Noel Doyle who died peacefully in the early hours of Good Friday and was buried here in St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland, yesterday, Easter Monday.

Father Noel spent most of his life as a missionary priest in Japan. His obituary is here.

Hamabe no Uta - Song of the Seashore

Composer: Tamezō Narita

[The instrument in the middle is an erhu]

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Death of another Columban priest

 

Fr Owen Doyle

28 June 1934 - 13 April 2022

Another Columban priest died peacefully last Sunday afternoon, Fr Owen Doyle. He spent most of his life as a priest in Korea. Please remember him in your prayers.

Father Owen's obituary is here.

He was the fifth Columban here in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, to die within 16 days. May they all rest in peace. Please keep our community in your prayers.

Grave of Bishop Edward Galvin, Co-founder of the Columbans

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Deaths of Two More Columban Priests

 

Fr Aodh Eamonn O'Halpin

31 January 1934 - 2 April 2022

Please pray for the soul of Fr Aodh Eamonn O'Halpin who died peacefully in our nursing home here in Ireland last Saturday, 2 April. He spent the early years of his missionary priesthood in Mindanao, Philippines, and later worked in Ireland before spending many years on mission in Britain.

The name 'Aodh', an old Irish name sometimes used as an equivalent for 'Hugh', is pronounced like the letter 'A' in the English alphabet.

Father Aodh's obituary is on the website of the Columbans in Ireland here.

The Deer's Cry (St Patrick's Breastplate)

Sung by Rita Connolly

In his will Father Aodh asked that this be played at his funeral.

Fr Daniel O'Gorman

4 March 1932 - 3 April 2022

Father Dan worked for many years in Korea, arriving there in 1957 when it was still devastated after the Korean War. In his latter years in Ireland he was of great help to Columbans who were sick until he himself moved into our nursing home in 2014.

His obituary is on our Irish website here.

Solas na bhFlaitheas ar an mbeirt seo sagart misinéireachta dílis.

The Light of Heaven on these two faithful missionary priests.

Crucifix, St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Deaths of Two Columban Priests

 

Fr Patrick Dooher

21 January 1943 - 25 March 2022

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Patrick Dooher who died suddenly on the evening of Friday 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Father Paddy was from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and worked in both Ireland and Peru.

You will find his obituary here.

Fr Richard O’Sullivan

17 February 1936 - 26 March 2022

Father  Dick died peacefully in our nursing home here in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, Ireland early on Saturday 26 March. From Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland, he spent many years in Fiji but also spent periods teaching in Australia and in Ireland. He was a gifted teacher.

His obituary is here.

Solas na bhFlaitheas ar an mbeirt seo sagart misinéireachta dílis.

The Light of Heaven on these two faithful missionary priests.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Columban Fr Bernard O'Connor RIP

Fr Bernard O'Connor

(1934 - 2017)

Fr Bernard O’Connor was born on 18 April 1934 in Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland, and educated in Ballymote Boys National School and St Joseph’s College, Ballinasloe, before joining in the Columbans in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, Navan, in 1952.

O'Connell Street, Ballymote [Wikipedia]

Fr O'Connor was ordained in St Columban’s, Dalgan Park, on 21 December 1958 and appointed to the Philippines. After language studies in Tagalog he began his many years of work in the Archdiocese of Manila. His first years were spent in Silang and Binangonan but from 1969 he was engaged in Student Catholic Action. This was a dynamic ministry of leadership-training among university students in Manila founded by Columban Fr Edward J. McCarthy in 1936. Father Barney served, mainly in Far Eastern University, during the turbulent years of Martial Law when all student organizations were suspect and many banned.

Far Eastern University, Manila [Wikipedia]

Having served as Superior in the District of Luzon he returned in 1988 to parish ministry in Our Lady of Remedies, Malate, until he was appointed to Britain in 1995. Mission Awareness and House Manager were two of the roles he carried during his thirteen years in Solihull and, as he put it, up to the last he was still seeking new veins on the coalface of British mission.

'Spaghetti Junction', M6, near Birmingham [Wikipedia]

Father Barney made his way through this many times while going on weekend mission appeals.

During all these years Fr Bernard suffered from poor health and he returned to Ireland to begin dialysis treatment in 2009.

Eventually he needed treatment three days every week but always tried to bounce back as quickly as possible. As one of the first Columbans to develop computer skills along with his cryptic crosswords and stamp collection he always had ways of coping with the long hours of treatment and recovery.

Father Bernard will be remembered for his droll humour, for his hope and indomitable courage, a witness to all of us on how to cope with life’s difficulties.

Irish airmail stamp (1948-65) [Wikipedia]

Fr O'Connor died suddenly on 17 September 2017. May God reward this generous and faithful missionary priest.

May he rest in peace.

'The Hearty Boys of Ballymote'

Columban Fr Fintan Murtagh RIP

Fr Fintan Murtagh

(12 February 1940 - 23 December 2016)

Fr Fintan J. Murtagh was born at Moyvore, County Westmeath, Ireland, on 12 February 1940.  He was educated at Moyvore National School and at St Finian’s College, Mullingar, County Westmeath. 

Entrance to St Finian's College, Mullingar [Wikipedia]

Father Fintan was one of many Columbans who had their secondary education in this school, which is owned by the Diocese of Meath.

He came to St Columban’s, Dalgan Park, Navan, County Meath, in September 1957 and was ordained priest there, on 22 December 1963 and died on 23 December 2016.

St Columban's, Dalgan Park

Appointed to the Philippines, and to the Diocese of Iba, which covers the province of Zambales, he served initially in San Marcelino, and Botolan. He spent longer periods in San Antonio, before returning again to Botolan and later to Candelaria and to Olongapo City.

San Antonio Town Plaza [Wikipedia]

In 1972 Father Fintan became aware that he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. With his sunny temperament, he did not allow his condition to determine what he could or could not do, and he actually continued to play golf long after others would have given up. From 1985, he began to develop a systematic approach to parishioners of Candelaria with disabilities.

Father Fintan with friend

The result was Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) for People with Disabilities and Families. By 2010 this organization was serving in thirteen parishes of the Diocese of Iba. In all, it was serving 1,037 members in a broad variety of programmes for persons with disabilities. It is serving those with cerebral palsy, stroke victims, those with Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, and epilepsy.

With friends in Zambales

It also helps persons with learning disabilities such as those with Down Syndrome. There are programmes too for the profoundly deaf, the blind and the partially blind, and a variety of other disabling conditions.

Friends of Father Fintan

You can read articles by Father Fintan about his his work here, here and here.

As he coped with his own disability, Father Fintan gave courage and hope to so many other families in the Philippines and elsewhere. When he could no longer cope he came home to Ireland, but a mechanized wheelchair, and a special vehicle enabled him to be part of everything that was going on until he suffered a major stroke earlier this year.

Father Fintan will be remembered as a man of humour, hope and indomitable courage, a witness to all of us on how to cope  with life’s difficulties.

He was buried in St Columban’s Cemetery on 27 December.

Solas na bhFlaitheas air! The light of Heaven upon him!

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park

The students in Dalgan Park produced My Fair Lady for St Columban's Day, 23 November 1962. If my memory serves me right, Father Fintan was one of 'Eliza Doolittle's' Cockney companions in this number.