A Time in History (December 1-7)

December 2

FR. SHAUN O’DONNELL was born in Derry City, Ireland on August 2, 1937 and died in Dalgan on December 2, 2011. He joined Dalgan seminary in Ireland in 1956 and was ordained priest on December 21, 1962. After language studies Father Shaun was appointed to Mindanao, Philippines. He served as parish priest in Aurora, Malabang and San Pablo. Then he served in Bonifacio and Jimenez until he was appointed to Mission Awareness/Promotion in Britain from 1984 to 1988. Re-appointed once more to Mindanao in 1989, he was in charge of the house in Cagayan de Oro and did hospital chaplaincy work, before being appointed as parish priest to Agusan where he spent ten years. As a special ministry, Father Shaun established a programme for children with impaired hearing. This later became an Archdiocesan programme. In 2002, he was appointed as guest-master of the Baguio house and served there until sickness forced his return to Ireland and the Columban Nursing Home, Dalgan Park in 2009. He bore his debilitating illness with humour, courage and patience.  Father Shaun is buried in Dalgan Park.

 

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Father Shaun in his younger years

 December 5

FR. JOHN O’CARROLL was born at Dromahair, County Leitrim, Ireland in 1898. He died in Dalgan on December 5, 1972.  Father Jack did his secondary studies at St. Patrick’s College, Cavan [1913-17], before going to St. Patrick’s College, Carlow, Ireland to study for priesthood. He entered Dalgan seminary in January 1918 and was ordained priest there in 1923 and assigned to Hanyang, China. He was a delegate to the 1947 General Chapter after which he did promotion work in Ireland [1948-49] and parish work in England [1949-53]. He was appointed to the Philippines in 1954 but failing health forced him to return home in 1965.  Father Jack was an uncle of Columban Fr. Harry O’Carroll.  Father Jack is buried in Dalgan Park.

 

 

 December 6

FR. FRANK CAREY was born in Caulfield, Melbourne, Australia on 19th August 1937, son of Paul Carey and Marion Farrell. After local primary schools and Christian Brothers College he joined the Columbans and was ordained on December 13, 1962. Assigned to the Philippines, he supplied in parishes in Mindanao before four years with Fr. Peter Steen in Iligan. From 1969 to 1976, he was in Australia, chaplain to overseas students, promoting Columban mission and priesthood. He had a year in Tambulig before coming to Manila and doing campus ministry work, with terms as chaplain at Philippine Women’s and Far Eastern Universities. In 1991, he was assigned to Australia, as lay mission and vocations coordinator, and in mission awareness.  Back in the Philippines he reveled in the Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning in Silang. In 2011, he became house manager in Baguio. There he became ill with cancer and on December 6, 2014 this calm, gentle priest died at Manila Doctors’ Hospital.  Father Frank is buried at Loyola Cemetery, Parañaque, Philippines.

 

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Frs. Frank Carey (right), John Hishon (left) and another Columban priest

 

Fr. Frank Carey (leftmost) with Frs. Michael Doohan and Dave Clay during their 50th Jubilee Celebration in 2012

  

 

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