January 17

 FR. MICHAEL CULLEN was born in 1925 at Tullysaran, County Armagh, Ireland. He died on January 17,2006 at Craigavon Hospital, Co. Armagh. Educated at C.B.S., Armagh, Fr. Michael came to Dalgan in 1942 and was ordained there in 1948. Assigned to the Philippines, he spent a total of forty-seven years on the Island of Negros, returning from there in 1997 to ‘retirement’ in his home parish where “he didn’t spare himself as long as work was available.” He endeared himself to all by “his gentle and unassuming manner and his deep spirituality nourished by personal prayer.”  Fr. Michael “never forgot his roots and regarded the people at home as his partners in mission.” He is buried among his own at Knockaconey, County Armagh, Ireland.

January 18

 FR. JOHN J. LYNCH was born at Somerville, Massachusetts, USA in 1927. He died in his sleep on January 18,1986 at Fort Devins, Massachusetts.  Before coming to St. Columban’s in 1949 Fr. Jack served with the U.S. Army.  He was ordained priest at St. Columban’s Seminary, Milton, Massachusetts in 1956. He was appointed to the Philippines in 1957 and worked there until 1961. Returning to the U.S. he did diocesan work in Brooklyn, New York, and Omaha. He then did promotion work in Omaha, Los Angeles and Denver, and pastoral work in Westminster, California parish and St. John’s, Virgin Islands. In 1967 he joined the U.S. Army as a chaplain and did two tours of duty in Vietnam. He held the rank of Lt. Colonel and was on active duty at the time of his death. He is buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Stoneham, Massachusetts.

January 20

 FR. J. THOMAS CONNOLLY was born at Burren, Warrenpoint, County Down, Ireland in 1907. He died at Dalgan on 20 January 1981. Fr. Tom was educated at St Colman’s College, Newry, before entering St. Senan’s College, Cahiracon, Ireland in 1926. He came to Dalgan in 1927 but did his last three years theology in St. Columban’s, Nebraska, USA where he was ordained priest in 1932. After his ordination, he was assigned to the Philippines where he worked for the next 44 years. In 1977 he returned to Ireland and acted as chaplain at Star of the Sea Convent in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, until 1979 when ill health forced his retirement. Fr. Tom is buried at Dalgan.

 FR. THOMAS R. DWYER was born at Wellington, New Zealand in 1912. He died at Lower Hutt, New Zealand on January 20, 1974. Fr. Tom was educated by the Marist Fathers at St. Bede’s, Christchurch. In 1931, he began his studies at St. Columban’s, Essendon. He was ordained priest at Dalgan seminary in 1937 after completing his theology course there. Fr. Tom spent a year as Spiritual Director at Essendon before being appointed to the Philippines in 1939. While he was pastor of Labrador in 1950, guerillas captured and killed his assistant, Fr. Tommy Flynn. In 1952, Fr. Tom joined the Trappists in New Mexico but returned to the Columban Missionaries three years later. He was granted laicization but returned to the Society after some years. He worked in the U.S. before being assigned to New Zealand in 1972. At the time of his death he was in charge of THE FAR EAST office at Lower Hutt. He is buried at Taita, near Lower Hutt.

January 22

 FR. FRANCIS J. LITTON was born at Glasthule, County Dublin, Ireland in 1918. He died suddenly in Dalgan on January 22, 1987.  Fr. Frank was educated at the Catholic University School, Dublin. In 1935 he went to Dalgan and was ordained priest in 1941. His first assignments were to the diocese of Galway and then to office work at St. Columban’s, Navan, Ireland.  He then took an M.A. in Education in the U.S. before being appointed to the Philippines in 1951. In 1954 he was appointed to the U.S. Region and worked in Los Angeles. In 1964 he was appointed to the staff of St. Columban’s Seminary, Silver Creek, New York, and in 1968 to the staff at Dalgan. From 1976 he did research on John Blowick and John Henaghan while he worked in the regional offices.  Fr. Frank is buried at Dalgan.

 FR. THOMAS L. MURPHY was born at Taunton, Massachusetts, USA in 1918. He died suddenly while visiting friends in New York on January 22, 1994.  Fr. Tom began his education for priesthood at St. Columban’s, Silver Creek, New York in 1931 and was ordained priest in Providence, Rhode Island, USA on December 19, 1942. His first assignment was to study journalism at Columbia University, New York, and Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1945 he joined the editorial staff of COLUMBAN MISSION. He was assigned to the Philippines in 1954 and worked in Mindanao until his recall in 1959 to the staff of COLUMBAN MISSION at Omaha, USA. In 1967 he spent two years on the editorial staff of THE FAR EAST at St. Columban’s, Nth. Essendon. Returning to the U.S., he did pastoral work until his retirement through illness. Fr. Tom is buried at St. Anne’s Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA.

Frs. Tom Murphy and Jim Lillis