Columban Fr Seán J. McGrath RIP

Fr Seán J. McGrath

(15 June 1930 - 27 April 2018)

Seán Joseph McGrath was born on 15 June 1930 at Killen, Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Educated at Aughamullan Public Elementary School and St Patrick's College, Armagh, he entered St Columban's, Dalgan Park, County Meath, Ireland, in September 1948. He was ordained priest on 21 December 1954.

Main Street, Killen [Wikipedia]

Father Seán's first twenty years were spent in pastoral work in Mindanao, Philippines. He worked mainly in Ozamiz City and in Iligan City. In the latter he established the new parish of Corpsu Christi in Rosario Heights, Tubod, and built a huge, modern church there. In his years in Iligan he displayed his extraordinary creativity. He was always open to trying new ways of in volving his parishioners and had a particular gift for raising funds for the many projects of the parish.

Corpus Christ Church, Iligan City [Parish FB]

After twenty years in the Philippines there followed ten years of promotion work in the District of Britain. Fr McGrath was in charge of the London house and in 1979 became Superior of the District. He was always a cheerful extrovert who made friends easily, remembered names and was a gifted fundraiser. All these qualities helped make him very effective in promoting mission.

St Ignatius Church, Belize City [Parish FB]

When the Columbans opened a new English-speaking mission to Belize in 1986 Father Seán was one of the first to volunteer. His companions elected him as spokesperson of the mission unit. Conditions were difficult but he was happy to be back in a new environment, working out of St Ignatius Church in Belize City. He organised raffles in order to raise funds for the parish projects including the building of a new rectory. The mission to Belize ended in 1996 when the Columbans lacked manpower to continue there and Father Seán was assigned to the USA.

National Flag of Belize [Wikipedia]

In the United States Fr McGrath's gifts were employed very successfully on behalf of projects in the Columban Region of the Philippines. He was delighted to be back working with Filipinos and he encouraged them to help with the education of our new Filipinos seminarians and with other projects. He worked happily in the USA until his health began to deteriorate and he returned to Ireland and to the nursing home at St Columban's, Dalgan Park, in 2014.

Always full of energy, good humour and creativity, Father Seán will be remembered among Columbans and his numerous friends in so many different countries.

May he rest in peace.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park

[Obituary by Fr Cyril Lovett]

Logo of the Tyrone Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

Fr McGrath was an outstanding Gaelic footballer in his youth and played midfield for the Tyrone minors when they won the All-Ireland Championship in 1947 and 1948. The following tribute appears on the Tyrone GAA Facebook:

‘Anocht is Uaigneach Tír Eoghain … Tonight Tyrone is Lonely’

The death of Fr Sean McGrath draws the curtain on the exceptional life journey of an exceptional Tyrone man. Fr Sean was in so many ways a person apart, an All-Ireland Minor double-winner for us in 1947 and 1948, (that group of young men whose significance within the Tyrone GAA story can never be underestimated), and then with the Columban Fathers a man who improved the lot of humankind not just in Ireland but in Belize, Britain, The Philippines and the USA. Most of us aspire to great things in life: Fr Sean lived them and delivered them.

The deepest sympathy of Gaelic Tyrone goes to his wide family connection – personal, Columban and Clonoe O’Rahillys.

‘Luímse le Dia agus luífidh Dia liom: Éireoidh mé le Dia agus éireoidh Dia liom. I lie with God and God will lie with me: I will rise with God and God will rise with me.’

Logo of Clonoe O'Rahillys GAA Club

Clonoe O'Rahillys was the local Gaelic football club of which Father Seán was a member. The club carries this tribute from a relative on its Facebook:

Father Seán loved Irish music and during his long, lingering illness another Columban, Fr Bernard Mulkerins, often sang for him in his room in the Columban nursing home. This was Father Seán's favourite song.

Columban Fr Patrick Donohoe RIP

Fr Patrick Donohoe

(1932 - 2016)

Fr Patrick ('Pat') Donohoe died rather suddenly in Dublin’s Mater Misericordia Hospital on 28 February, 2016. Born at Derryheen, Cavan on 20 May 1932, he was educated at Cavan Convent School, Drumcrave National School and St Patrick’s College, Cavan. He went to St Columban's, Dalgan Park, Ireland, in 1950 and was ordained priest on 21 December 1956. 

Cathedral of St Patrick and St Felim, Cavan [Wikipedia]

His first appointment was to Korea where he would spend the next twenty-three years. He served in Kwangju (now Gwangju) Vicariate before being appointed Regional Bursar for three years. Then he was appointed to the island of Cheju (now Jeju), where he spent five years keeping the books at the St Isidore Development Association and a further ten years in pastoral work.

Jeju Seashore [Wikipedia]

In 1980 he was assigned to the US Region in order to pursue studies in economics at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.  This led in 1981 to an appointment to the Bursar’s office in Ireland and in the following year to becoming Bursar of the District of Britain. After seven years in that position, he felt the need of a fresh challenge and  was assigned to Jamaica where he again served as Bursar in Montego Bay.

Montego Bay pushcart vendor [Wikipedia]

At the end of 1991, he was assigned the Region of Ireland and served in pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Clonfert. In May 1998 he was assigned as Chaplain to the Missionary Sisters of St Columban in Magheramore. He spent almost eighteen happy years in this final appointment until he was confined to hospital with chest pains and died within twenty-four hours.

Logo of the Columban Sisters

As a Bursar, Father Pat was known to be friendly, thorough and competent.

His ability to prime a conversation, his gift for repartee, together with his wide interest in social, economic and political affairs made him  good company. He will be missed by all of his Columban colleagues and by the Columban Sisters whom he served faithfully until the end.

May he rest in peace. 

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park, Ireland

Fr Patrick Raleigh, Regional Director of the Columbans in Ireland, in his covering letter when emailing the obituary of Fr Donohoe noted that 'at the end of the meal one of Pat's friends from Cavan sang a few Cavan songs.' It is becoming a very praiseworthy practice to have a few songs at the post-funeral lunch in Dalgan Park, something that reflects our hope as believers in the Resurrection. And I cannot imagine that the song below, written by Percy French and the best known Cavan song of all, was omitted. 

It is said too that this was the favourite Irish song of Pope Pius XII and that he was introduced to it by a priest from Ballyjamesduff who was helping him with his English. I don't know if His Holiness spoke English with a Cavan accent!

Columban Fr Patrick Crowley RIP

Fr Patrick J. Crowley 

(1926-2015)

Fr Patrick (Pat) J. Crowley died suddenly on 25 October, 2015, in St Columban's Nursing Home, Dalgan Park, Navan, Ireland. Born in Caheragh Parish (Diocese of Cork and Ross), County Cork, on 18 March 1926, he was educated in Dromore National School,  Bantry, and St Colman’s College, Fermoy, County Cork. He joined the Columbans  in Dalgan Park in 1945, was ordained priest on 21 December 1951, and was assigned to Japan.

River Blackwater, Fermoy [Wikipedia]

He soon became Bursar for the Region of Japan and after a term of seven years, he took on the same task in Whitby, England. There followed appointments  as Bursar  in Australia (Essendon and Perth) in 1963, and later in Wellington, New Zealand, before he was reassigned to Britain where he became District Superior in 1972. As he put it himself: 'it was a case of out of the frying pan into another frying pan'.  Finishing that term in 1979  he became Manager of the Mission Office in Ireland, where he computerised the office systems, before being appointed as Director of the Irish Region in 1983 for a term of four years.

Wellington, New Zealand [Wikipedia]

He was appointed General Secretary to the Central Administration of the Society in 1987, and continued working with the General Council for over twenty years, accepting the jobs of Society Archivist and History Coordinator as well.  It was only occasionally that his dedicated and painstaking work could be seen and admired.  In his annual publication of the Society Personnel Directory he tried to keep up with all the personnel changes  across the world.  But it was his bi-annual updating of Those who Journeyed with Us, where he managed to assemble profiles and photos of the more than seven hundred deceased Columbans, that really reflected his many years of determined effort.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park

This is Fr Pat Crowley's final resting place as it is of so many others whom he lovingly honoured in Those Who Journeyed With Us, the book of obituaries of deceased Columbans, many editions of which he compiled and edited.

After the General Council left Dublin for Hong Kong in 1988, Father Pat remained on to manage the house in Donaghmede, Dublin,  until ill health obliged him to enter the Nursing Home in Dalgan in June 2012. Father Pat left us with memories of  a caring missionary, a quiet-spoken, discrete man with a deadpan sense of humour who served others without thought of reward or recognition. 

May he rest in peace. 

Bantry Bay sung by John McCormack

'Some are gone upon their last logged homing,
Some are left, but they are old and gray,
And we're waiting for the tide in the gloaming,
To sail upon the Great Highway,
To the land of rest unending,
All peacefully from Bantry Bay.'

This song about the people and the place where Father Pat grew up was written by James Molloy. The photo used in the video is by Pam Brophy and taken from Wikipedia. Thanks to Frs Noel Daly and Cyril Lovett for the text of the obituary.