June 23

FR. AIDAN S. LOVETT was born in 1944 at Bantry, County Cor, Ireland. He died on June 23, 1999 at St. Francis Hospice, Dublin. After his secondary studies at St. Colman’s College, Fermoy, Father Aidan went to Dalgan seminary, following the footsteps of his brothers, Father Cyril and Father Brendan. After his ordination on April 6,1969,  he went to the Philippines and worked in Mindanao until 1975 when he was assigned to Malate parish where he spent the remainder of his missionary life. He had serious cancer surgery in Dublin in 1996 but returned to Manila and spent the last two and a half years ministering to the sick at Manila Doctors Hospital. Forced to return to Ireland with a recurrence of his cancer, he lived only two months. Father Aidan is buried at Dalgan Park.

 Lovett brothers:  (L-R) Fathers Brendan, Aidan and Cyril

June 24

FR. NOEL JOSEPH LYNCH was born in Logstown, Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland on December 28, 1930 and died at the Dalgan Nursing Home on June 24, 2011. Father Noel joined the De La Salle Brothers and after his profession served in Malaya from 1948-1955, and in Borneo from 1958 to 1972. He joined the Columban Society in 1973 and was ordained priest on April 10, 1977.  After two years on promotion work in Ireland he was assigned to the Philippines and spent the next four years working on the island of Mindanao. Next he worked in Ballymun, Dublin for two years, in Belize for two years and then in Dohooma, Ballina, County Mayo where he spent four happy years. Father Noel volunteered to work in China and spent the next four years as a university teacher of English. A gifted teacher, he enjoyed this work. In 1997 he was reappointed to Ireland and served as assistant priest in the Parish of Killimore and Tiranascragh in Ireland for fourteen happy years. Ill health forced him to retire to the Dalgan Nursing Home in 2011. He died there a few months later. Father Noel is buried at Dalgan Park.

June 29

FR. RICHARD D. BRANGAN was born at Ardcath, County Meath, Ireland in 1911. He died at the Bon Secours Hospital, Dublin on June 29, 1983.  Father Dick, as he was called, received his secondary education at Christian Brothers School, Drogheda and St. Finian’s College, Mullingar, both in Ireland. He came to Dalgan seminary in 1931 and was ordained priest there in 1937. He was appointed to the Philippines where he laboured in Mindanao for the next forty-five years. He returned to Ireland in 1983 with impaired health. Father Dick is buried at Dalgan Park.

 (L-R) Columban Fathers Patrick Reidy and Richard Brangan

June 30

FR. MALCOLM SHERRARD died in Wellington, New Zealand on June 30, 2012, aged 86 years. He was born in Whanganui, New Zealand in 1925. His primary schooling was in Feilding, followed by secondary education at St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream. He prepared for seminary formation with evening study of Latin while working on the family sheep farm in the Manawatu. Volunteering for overseas mission, he joined the spiritual year at St. Columban’s, Lower Hutt, New Zealand in 1948, and later moved to North Essendon, Australia. He completed his studies in Dalgan Park, Ireland. After ordination in 1954, he was assigned to the Philippines where his ministry was in rural areas in the Diocese of Iba in the province of Zambales, first in Botolan and later in the remote town of Poonbato. Over the years he supervised the building of churches, set up medical clinics, organized relief in times of natural disasters and was the director of a number of schools. Father Malcolm later spent a number of years on the road in New Zealand, visiting parishes and schools with movies and slides to illustrate his mission message. The support of the Wellington Filipino Community was a blessing to him. He will be remembered for his gentle manner in hospitality, his genuine concern for others and a selfless readiness to meet needs were at the heart of his missionary priesthood.