A Time in History (December 17-23)

December 18

FR. JOSEPH F. COYLE was born on February 28, 1937 in Derry, Ireland. He died on December 18, 1991 at the Makati Medical Center, Manila. Before entering Dalgan seminary in 1955, Father Joe had studied at C.B.S. Juniorate, Ledshaw, Cheshire, England [1953-54], and at Mungret [Jesuit] College, Limerick, Ireland [1954-55]. He was ordained priest at Dalgan seminary in 1961 and appointed to the Philippines in 1962 where he worked in Negros. From 1979-81, he did promotion work in England. Prior to returning to the Philippines in 1982 he went to Canada to further his studies of sign language, thus, enabling him to continue his ministry to the Hearing Impaired and handicapped. He set up “Welcome Home” as a centre for them in Bacolod City. Father Joe is buried in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

 

 FR. JOHN VINCENT GALLAGHER was born on December 24, 1923 at Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland.  When he was 4 months old the family moved to Dunlewey, County Donegal, Ireland. His father was killed at work in America leaving her mother, Hannah, to rear three small children.  Father Vincent was ordained on December 21, 1944 and there were bonfires all round Dunlewey that night. Appointed to the Philippines, he served in several parishes in Luzon before bringing his capacity for relating with young people and his sense of humour to Student Catholic Action for the next fifteen years. From 1978 he was in Morong and Jala-Jala parishes. He became pastor of Malate in 1984 where he established a ministry to street children. In 1990, he was assigned to Mission Promotion in Ireland and used his extraordinary memory for names in Operation Handshake. Father Vincent returned to Malate in 1995. He was re-assigned to Ireland in 1998 and worked until retiring to Dalgan where he died on December 18, 2015.

 

December 19

 FR. MICHAEL DOUGLAS was born in 1904 at Oberstown, Skryne, County Meath, Ireland.  He died in Dalgan, Ireland on December 19, 1983.  He received his secondary education at St. Finian’s College, Mullingar (1918-23), before entering St. Senan’s College, Cahiracon.  He was ordained priest in Dalgan in 1929.  His first appointment was to the teaching staff at St. Columban’s Silver Creek (1930-37).  After a short period with the Cistercians at Valley Falls, Rhode Island, USA, he went to China (1938) and the Philippines (1939).  He was assigned to promotion work in the US (1940-52) and then appointed to the teaching staff at St. Columban’s Nebraska.  He retired to Dalgan in 1971.  Father Michael is buried at Dalgan Park.

 

FR. FRANCIS McCULLAGH was born in 1913 in Belfast, Ireland. He died on December 19, 1994 at St. Columban’s, Silver Creek, New York, USA.  Having completed his secondary education at St. Columb’s College, Derry, Ireland, Father Frank went to Dalgan seminary in 1931 and was ordained priest there on December 21, 1937. Appointed to the Philippines in 1938, he was a member of the first group of Columbans to serve in Misamis. The Japanese detained him for a time until they had gained control of the country in World War 2. In 1957, he was appointed to promotion work in the U.S. and in 1972 he undertook parish work at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Buffalo, New York. Even after losing his eyesight Father Frank remained on in Buffalo until he suffered a stroke in 1993. He retired to Silver Creek where he is buried.

 

 FR. EDWARD T. McKENNA was born at Cohasset, Massachusetts, USA in 1926. He died unexpectedly in Glasgow, Scotland on December 19, 1998. At the age of two, his parents returned to Ireland and lived at Castletown, Mountrath, County Leix. When Father Ned, as he was known to many, had completed his secondary studies at St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, he entered Dalgan seminary where he was ordained priest on December 21, 1949, and appointed to the Philippines. After a long history of service to Zambales, he was assigned to Ireland in 1986 and assumed the task of superior and bursar at Dalgan Park which he filled with his customary dedication and energy. In 1995, he was assigned to Britain where he was Superior at St. Columban’s, Glasgow. Father Ned is buried at Dalgan.

 

December 21 

 FR. LUKE LYNCH was born at Carnaross, County Meath, Ireland in 1919.  He died in the Dalgan Nursing Home on December 21, 2007, the 63rd anniversary of his ordination. When he completed his secondary studies at St. Finian’s College, Mullingar, Father Luke came to Dalgan seminary and was ordained in 1944. His brother, Father John, was also a Columban, ordained in 1951. Assigned to China, Father Luke worked briefly in Huzhou. Forced to leave in 1952, he was assigned to the Philippines in 1954 and worked in Iligan and Oroquieta until illness forced him to return to Ireland in 1961.  Despite indifferent health he undertook pastoral assignments throughout Ireland and England. Gifted with penmanship and a good memory, Father Luke has left us a reservoir of his experiences, both overseas and at home. He is buried at Dalgan.

 

December 23

FR. MARK KAVANAGH was born in the Pro-Cathedral parish in Dublin, Ireland on January 27, 1926. From O’Connell Schools he entered Dalgan seminary in 1944 and after ordination on December 21, 1950 was appointed to the Philippines. He had many pastoral assignments in Negros including Biscom Sugar Central, Kabankalan, Binalbagan, and Cauayan. As district superior in the difficult early 70s, young Columbans always found him supportive of new apostolic initiatives – that support often expressed in a wisecrack. His wisdom, humour and human kindness helped to hold the group together. A decade later during the trial of the Negros Nine he constantly visited them and when possible was present in the front row in the court. He retired to Ireland in 1997 and chose to live with his sister Breda and her husband Michael until illness necessitated a move to the Columban Nursing Home. He died in Blanchardstown Hospital on December 23, 2014 and is buried in Dalgan.

 

 FR. FINTAN MURTAGH was born on February 12, 1940 in Moyvore, County Westmeath, Ireland. He joined the Columbans and was ordained on December 22, 1963. Assigned to the Philippines he studied Tagalog before going to the Diocese of Iba, Zambales where he worked in the parishes of San Marcelino, Botolan, San Antonio and Candelaria. In 1972, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but didn’t let it interfere with his life style. Instead, he became increasingly interested in people with disabilities. Meeting Melody, a young parishioner in Candelaria in 1985, was like a new beginning for him. She showed him a world of struggle, pain and endurance and he embarked on a programme to help disabled people, first in Candelaria and eventually in all thirteen parishes in the diocese. When his church and school burned down, the indomitable Father Fintan and parishioners rebuilt them. Even when he was forced to retire to the Dalgan nursing home he was out in all weathers on his wheelchair, greeting visitors. He died peacefully in the Dalgan nursing home on December 23, 2016.

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