February 1

 

 

FR. PAUL R. SMITH was born at St. Paul, Minnesota, USA in 1934. He died at the Veterans’ Hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas, on February 1, 1983. Father Paul was educated at Cretin High, St. Paul; St. Columban’s College, Milton [1952-54]; and St. Columban’s Major Seminary, Milton [1954-61]. He was ordained priest in 1960, appointed to the Philippines in 1961 and remained there until he joined the US Army Chaplains’ Corps in 1968. On his retirement from the army in 1971 he was to return to the Philippines but while doing a refresher course in the language he became ill. He returned to the U.S. and worked in the diocese of Tucson [1977-82].  Father Paul was buried in the National Cemetery, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota with full military honours.

 

 

February 2

 

FR. PATRICK O’DONOVAN, popularly known as Father Pato, was born in Cork City in 1927. He died at Dalgan Park on February 2, 2009. Having completed his secondary education at Mount Melleray he came to Dalgan seminary in 1946 where he was ordained in 1952. Assigned to the Philippines in 1953, Father Pato spent the next 41 years in Pangasinan, apart from a 6-year period [1978-’84] when he served as District Superior of Luzon, residing at Singalong, Manila. In 1994, Father Pato was assigned to Ireland for treatment of a skin condition. Even then, his total commitment to priesthood was evident when he continued his engagement in pastoral work in the Cork Diocese. With a deep spirituality and blessed by common sense and a sense of humour, Father Pato attracted many who sought advice and assistance. His adoring family would vouch for that. His many friends in the Philippines and

Ireland will miss his gentle presence. Father Pato is buried at Dalgan.

 

 

February 5

 

 

FR. OLIVER WHYTE was born in Barnaderg, Tuam, Ireland in 1921. He died on February 5, 2009 at Dalgan Park. Having completed his secondary education at St. Jarlath’s College, Tuam, he came to Dalgan seminary in 1940 and was ordained there in 1946. He was appointed to Shanghai to study Korean but by 1948 he was working in Huzhou, China. But there was yet another twist in Father Oliver’s story! Due to Church persecution in China in the early 1950s, Father Oliver was assigned to Mindanao, Philippines, where he spent over 30 years. Appointed to Ireland in 1983, he served as College Bursar in Dalgan, followed by many years of Mission Promotion and Vocation work. Being a skilled raconteur, Father Oliver would have excelled in those roles! He retired in 1996 but continued to travel and entertain!  Father Oliver is buried at Dalgan park.

 

 

February 9

 

 

FR. JOHN V. DUNNE was born at Kinnegad, County Westmeath, Ireland in September 1915. He died on February 9, 2002 at Dalgan park.  Having completed his secondary studies at St. Finian’s College, Mullingar, Father John came to Dalgan seminary and was ordained in December 1940. It was wartime so he was assigned to parish work in the diocese of Clifton, England until the war ended. Appointed to Hanyang, China in 1946, he was forced to leave in 1949 due to the Communist take-over and went to the Philippines. There he worked with Student Catholic Action until failing eyesight forced him to leave in 1964 when he went to the U.S. and became actively involved in retreat and parish mission work. Fr. John returned to Ireland in 1989 and to retirement in Dalgan, where he died. He is buried at Dalgan park.

 

 

 

FR. MICHAEL McSHANE was born in 1921 at Bogagh, Carrick, County Donegal, Ireland. He died on February 9, 1997 in Blanchardstown Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. He had retired to Dalgan in ill health five years earlier. Having completed his secondary education in St. Eunan’s College [1937-42], Father Mick went to All Hallows College, Dublin [1942-45] to study for priesthood in the archdiocese of Dublin. He came to Dalgan seminary in 1945 and was ordained priest there on December 21, 1949. Appointed to the Philippines, he worked in Negros for more than forty years until ill health led to his retirement in 1992.  Father Mick is buried at Dalgan park.

 

 

February 10

 

FR. PETER FALLON was born at Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland in 1895. He was one of five Columbans killed in the Philippines during World War II. The date of Father Peter’s death is given as February 10, 1945.  Father Peter studied philosophy at All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland. He came to Dalgan seminary in 1918 and was ordained priest there in 1922. In 1923, he left for China. Writing from Sungho, Hanyang in 1929, he requested to leave China because of the “religious indifference which is everywhere apparent”. In 1930, he left China and went to work in the diocese of Birmingham [England]. Three years later he requested an assignment to the Philippines. He was killed, presumably by Japanese troops, on February 10, 1945, along with Frs. Henaghan, Monaghan and Kelly. Their bodies were never found.

 

 

 

FR. JOHN HENAGHAN was born at Louisburg, County Mayo, Ireland in 1881. He was one of five Columbans killed in February 1945 during the U.S. – Japanese battle for Manila. Japanese Navy personnel surrounded Malate church and its convento and took every male they found on the premises [20 in all] along with Frs. Kelly, Fallon and Monaghan. The four were never seen alive again. Father John received his secondary education at St. Jarlath’s College, Tuam and then went to St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to study for priesthood in the Tuam archdiocese. Ordained priest in 1909, he was a curate in Annaghdown and in Tuam. He joined the Columban Society at its foundation in October 1916. At first, he did promotion work and then occupied the posts of dean in Dalgan seminary and editor of THE FAR EAST concurrently. He was also a member of the Superior General’s Council [1919-24]. In 1931, he went to the Philippines when he was 49 years of age. At the time of his death he was Superior in the Philippines. In 1948, the United States government posthumously awarded him the Medal of Freedom. The citation with the award read, “He secretly gave aid and sustenance, material and spiritual, to the American and Allied internees”. His place of burial is unknown.

 

 

 

FR. PATRICK KELLY was born at Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland in 1891. He was parish priest in Malate, Manila, when, in February 1945 he was taken away by Japanese Navy personnel along with Frs. Henaghan, Monaghan and Fallon. The four were never seen alive again. He received his secondary education at St. Finian’s College, Mullingar. He was ordained priest at Kilbeggan, Ireland in June 1915 for the diocese of Meath and served as a curate in the parish of Dunboyne until 1921 when he joined the Columban Society. For a short time, he did promotion work in Ireland and then went to Australia in 1922, again for promotion work. In 1925, he was appointed to Ireland as Spiritual Director to the Columban Brothers. Assigned to the Philippines in 1929, he was the first Columban Superior in that mission. In 1948, the U.S. government posthumously awarded him the Medal of Freedom for his services to U.S. internees and prisoners of war. The accompanying citation said: “He gave food, shelter, medicine and money to all in need and helped escaped prisoners”. The exact date of his death and place of burial are uncertain.

 

 

 

FR. JOSEPH MONAGHAN was born at Banbridge, County Down, Ireland in 1907. He was one of five Columban Missionaries killed in Manila in February 1945. He was attached to Malate parish, the convento of which was at that time the Centre House for Columbans in the Philippines. With other Columbans, Father Joe was engaged in humanitarian work for American civilian internees and prisoners of war interned in the area. Japanese Navy personnel surrounded Malate church and convento and took every male they found on the premises [20 in all] along with four priests – Frs. John Henaghan, Pat Kelly, Peter Fallon and Joe Monaghan. The four were never seen alive again. Their bodies were never recovered. Father Joe received his secondary education at St. Colman’s College, Newry, Ireland. Having completed his philosophy studies at Dalgan seminary, he studied theology at St. Columban’s, Nebraska, USA where he was ordained priest in 1931. He went to the Philippines in 1932. Father Joe was an uncle of Columban Fathers Damien McKenna and Brendan McPolin.

 

February 11

 

FR. KENNETH A. KOSTER was born at Buffalo, New York, USA in 1925. While at home on compassionate leave he died unexpectedly on February 11, 1981. Father Ken was ordained priest in 1950 having studied at St. Columban’s, Silver Creek [1938-44], St. Columban’s, Bristol [1944-45] and St. Columban’s, Nebraska [1945-51]. He went to the Philippines in 1951. From 1959-63, he did promotion work in the U.S. He was reappointed to the Philippines in 1963. In 1969, he returned to the U.S. for a year’s studies. Father Ken is buried at Silver Creek, New York.

 

 

 

FR. MARTIN NOONE was born at Glencorrib, Shrule, County Mayo, Ireland in 1913. He died in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, on February 11, 1998. It seemed natural that if he studied for priesthood it would be at the nearby Old Dalgan seminary, which he did in 1931 having completed his secondary studies at St. Jarlath’s College, Tuam. He was ordained priest on   December 21, 1937 and assigned to the Philippines. In December 1938, he was one of ten Columban Missionaries who took charge of Ozamis area in Mindanao. In 1947, he did promotion work in the U.S. and returned to Mindanao in 1951. Assigned to promotion work in Ireland in 1959, he worked there for three years and again returned to Mindanao. Back to Ireland in 1978, Father Martin became manager of THE FAR EAST OFFICE. From the early ‘80s, he devoted most of his time to researching and writing, which resulted in The Islands Saw It and Michael O’Doherty, Archbishop of Manila. Father Martin is buried at Dalgan.