Columban Fr PJ McGlinchey RIP

Fr PJ McGlinchey

(6 June 1928 - 24 April 2018)

Patrick James McGlinchey was born in the village of Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland, which gives its name to the Diocese of Raphoe, on 6 June 1928. He was always known as 'PJ'. In Korea he was known by the Korean name of Yim Pi-jae, a derived from the first letter of each of his English names: Yim for the 'M' in McGlinchey, pi for the 'P' in Patrick and jae for the 'J' in James. (This information is from a fine article published in Korea in 2014: Sixty years on Jejudo: Irish priest shares his memories).

He died in a hospice he had built on the island of Jeju - 'Jejudo' is the Korean for 'Jeju Island' - where he had lived for most of his life and was buried there on.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal. May his noble soul be at the right hand of God.

Fr PJ McGlinchey with President Mary McAleese of Ireland and her husband Dr Martin McAleese

Jeju, March 2005

Below is a post I published on 16 October 2014.

Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Columban Fr PJ McGlinchey

It has just been announced that Columban Fr PJ McGlinchey has been named as one of the recipients of a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for 2014 . He will be presented with the award by Irish President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony later this year. Fr McGlinchey's baptismal names are Patrick James but he is known to everyone as 'PJ'.

Fr McGlinchey, a native of County Donegal, Ireland, has spent his missionary life on Jeju [formerly 'Cheju'] Island about 130 kms off the southern coast of South Korea. The citation for his award reads:

Arriving in Jeju, Korea in 1954 Fr McGlinchey, a priest with the Missionary Society of St Columban, was faced with a society that was deeply traumatised and ravished by poverty. Lead by his faith and knowledge in agriculture he set about helping to pull thousands of Jeju citizens out of poverty.

His model of development and profitable farming encouraged use of underused farm land and new farming methods. St Isidore farm was founded to include pigs, sheep, cows and now a stud.

Fr McGlinchey with a sick person in Korea

A textile factory, employed up to 1,700 Jeju women in a time when jobs on the island were scarce. His forming of a credit union changed the economy of the island and helped the citizens emerge from poverty.

Fr Mc Glinchey never forgot the island people setting up Isidore Nursing home, hospice, kindergarten and a youth centre which for over 18,000 young people from all over Korea. These welfare activities, some funded completely from donations and profits from the farm, take care of Jeju's most vulnerable.

For 60 years, his extraordinary drive, dedication and vision has changed the lives of those on Jeju and Ireland is now associated with this great island. His tireless dedication gave them not just hope but a belief in what they could achieve themselves.

You can read more about the work of Fr McGlinchey here.

President Ramon Magsaysay 

(31 August 1907 - 17 March 1957) [Wikipedia]

In 1975 Fr McGlinchey was one of the Ramon Magsaysay awardees in Manila. His award was for Rural Development. The website of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has a biographical page on the priest here. The foundation was set up to honour President Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippines who died in a plane crash in the Philippines on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1957. 

Isidore Farm founded by Fr McGlinchey is named after St Isidore the Farmer, widely venerated in the Philippines as San Isidro Labrador or simply, San Isidro.

San Isidro (c.1070 - 15 May 1130) and his wife Blessed Maria Torribia

Columban Fr Eamonn F. Byrne RIP

Fr Eamonn F. Byrne

(23 July 1929 - 12 December 2015)

Fr Eamonn Byrne died in St Columban's Nursing Home, Dalgan Park, Navan, Ireland, on 12 December 2015.  Born in Crumlin, Dublin on 23 July 1929, he was educated at Rialto National School and Synge St Christian Brothers' School, Dublin, and entered the Columban seminary in Dalgan Park in 1947. He was ordained priest there on 21 December 1953.

Synge Street CBS logo [Wikipedia]

Appointed to the Philippines in 1954, he was assigned to St Isidore the Farmer Parish, Labrador, Pangasinan, for three years.

St Isidore the Farmer Church, Labrador [Wikipedia]

From 1957 to 1964 he was Chaplain at University of the East, Manila, and later at Far Eastern University, Manila. He spent periods as Director of Student Catholic Action in Manila, and many years later, in retirement, he published a history of that dynamic movement underthe title, Columbans in Student Catholic Action, Philippines 1937-2007.

Logo of Student Catholic Action Philippines [Wikipedia]

From 1974 till 1977 Fr Byrne worked to develop the Columban apostolate to the Filipino community in the USA. Then, it was back to Pangasinan, to the parishes of Lingayen, Naguelguel, Labrador and Sual until 1988 when he was assigned to the Columban Formation Program for college students in Cebu City for a brief period. Subsequently he served for six years as Director of Vocations in Luzon, and a further six years on Mission Awareness in that area. His last appointment in the Philippines was to Our Lady of Remedies Parish, Malate, Manila, where he served from 2000 to 2007, when he returned to the Retirement Home at St Columbanʼs, Navan.

Epiphany of the Lord Co-Cathedral, Lingayen [Wikipedia]

A man of great charm and good humour, he was a popular pastor and worked very well with young people. As long as his health permitted, he was an enthusiastic member of the retired Columbans in Dalgan, ever willing to lend his support and encouragement to any new initiative.

May he rest in peace.

St Columban's Cemetery, Dalgan Park

Obituary by Fr Cyril Lovett

Grafton Street, Dublin [Wikipedia]

'Grafton Street's a wonderland . . .'

Fr Patrick Raleigh, Regional Director of the Columbans in Ireland, wrote in an email: Fr Eugene Ryan, a classmate, recited the Prayers at the Cemetery. After lunch in the College there was an impromptu sing-song and very fittingly some of the songs were Dublin songs.

Very likely one of those songs was The Dublin Saunter, written by Dubliner Leo Maguire for another Dubliner, Noel Purcell, who sings it here. Noel (1900 - 1985) was an internationally-known film, TV and stage actor and, like Father Eamonn, was educated at Synge Street CBS.

St Stephen's Green, Dublin [Wikipedia]

'And a stroll in Stephen's Green'

Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Columban Fr PJ McGlinchey

It has just been announced that Columban Fr PJ McGlinchey has been named as one of the recipients of a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for 2014 . He will be presented with the award by Irish President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony later this year. Fr McGlinchey's baptismal names are Patrick James but he is known to everyone as 'PJ'.

Fr McGlinchey, a native of County Donegal, Ireland, has spent his missionary life on Jeju [formerly 'Cheju'] Island about 130 kms off the southern coast of South Korea. The citation for his award reads:

Arriving in Jeju, Korea in 1954 Fr McGlinchey, a priest with the Missionary Society of St Columban, was faced with a society that was deeply traumatised and ravished by poverty. Lead by his faith and knowledge in agriculture he set about helping to pull thousands of Jeju citizens out of poverty.

His model of development and profitable farming encouraged use of underused farm land and new farming methods. St Isidore farm was founded to include pigs, sheep, cows and now a stud.

Fr McGlinchey with a sick person in Korea

A textile factory, employed up to 1,700 Jeju women in a time when jobs on the island were scarce. His forming of a credit union changed the economy of the island and helped the citizens emerge from poverty.

Fr Mc Glinchey never forgot the island people setting up Isidore Nursing home, hospice, kindergarten and a youth centre which for over 18,000 young people from all over Korea. These welfare activities, some funded completely from donations and profits from the farm, take care of Jeju's most vulnerable.

For 60 years, his extraordinary drive, dedication and vision has changed the lives of those on Jeju and Ireland is now associated with this great island. His tireless dedication gave them not just hope but a belief in what they could achieve themselves.

You can read more about the work of Fr McGlinchey here.

President Ramon Magsaysay 

(31 August 1907 - 17 March 1957) [Wikipedia]

In 1975 Fr McGlinchey was one of the Ramon Magsaysay awardees in Manila. His award was for Rural Development. The website of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has a biographical page on the priest here. The foundation was set up to honour President Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippines who died in a plane crash in the Philippines on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1957. 

The website of the Isidore Farm founded by Fr McGlinchey is here. It is named after St Isidore the Farmer, widely venerated in the Philippines as San Isidro Labrador or simply, San Isidro.

San Isidro (c.1070 - 15 May 1130) and his wife Blessed Maria Torribia

Source of report: Website of Columbans, Ireland.