March 6
FR. JAMES MOYNIHAN was born in 1924 at Shannon, New Zealand. He died of pneumonia on March 6, 1992 in Maria Regina Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. Before going to St. Columban’s, Wahroonga (near Sydney), in 1949 for his Spiritual year, Father Jim served during World War II as a Wireless Air Gunner in the New Zealand Air Force and Army. He studied philosophy at St. Columban’s, North Essendon, and theology at St. Columban’s, Wahroonga. Father Jim was ordained priest at St. Patrick’s Church, Palmerston North, New Zealand on December 19, 1955. He went to the Philippines in 1956 where he worked for the next 36 years, mainly in Mindanao. His final years were spent in Cagayan de Oro where he was remarkable for his apostolate in the confessional in the Cathedral. Father Jim is buried at Divine Shepherd Memorial Park, Cagayan de Oro City.
Frs. John Wanaurny and James Moynihan in Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur
Tombstone of Fr. James Moynihan at Divine Shepherd Memorial Park, Cagayan de Oro City
March 7
FR. DERMOT WOODS was born at Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland in 1923. He was only ten years in priesthood when he died at his sister’s nursing home at Monkstown, County Dublin, on March 7, 1960. Having studied at St. Patrick’s College, Cavan, Father Dermot came to Dalgan seminary to study for priesthood. He was ordained priest in 1950. Assigned to the Philippines, he worked in Iba Prelature until 1956 when he fell seriously ill and returned to Ireland for treatment. He went back to the Philippines in 1959 but had to be recalled again, incurably ill. He suffered from Hodgkins disease. Father Dermot is buried at Dalgan.
March 10
FR. JOHN LEAHY was born near Loughrea, County Galway, Ireland in 1932. He died at Middlesex Hospital, England on March 10, 1977. Father John studied [1945-50] at De La Salle College, Loughrea, County Galway before becoming a Post Office clerk. In 1954, he entered Dalgan seminary where he was ordained priest in 1960. He was assigned to the Philippines and worked in Mindanao until he was forced to return home in 1976 for a serious operation. Father John is buried at Dalgan Park.
Fr. John Leahy (1971) with convent boys
March 11
FR. RICHARD CANNON was born in 1928 at Buffalo, New York. He died in a Los Angeles hospital on March 11, 2002. Father Dick had a varied and fruitful life. His first contact with Columbans was in 1944 at Silver Creek. Part of his formation for priesthood was at Dalgan seminary as an exchange-student. After ordination at Milton in 1954, he obtained his doctorate in Canon Law in Rome and then taught at Silver Creek and Milton, USA until 1963 when he was appointed to a Columban school in Whitby, England. He graduated June 1960 from Boston College with a B.A. in Mathematics. With the closure of Whitby, Father Dick was assigned to the Philippines where “he saw education as the way out of the poverty trap and laboured to provide the best facilities for high school and college”. From 1975 to 1983 he was Director at St. Columban’s College, Olongapo. He spent almost thirty years in Zambales where he was District Superior for two terms. From 1995 he served as Regional Bursar for five years. He returned to the U.S. in 2001 where he was house bursar in Los Angeles. Burial was at Silver Creek, New York.
