July 1

FR. JOHN DENNEHY was born in 1933 at Headford, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. He died at St. Anne’s Hospital, Cahirciveen, County Kerry on July 1, 2009. Educated at Rathmore N.S. and at St. Brendan’s College, Killarney, Father Jack, as he was called, came to Dalgan Park in 1952 where he was ordained in December 1958.  Appointed to the Philippines in 1959, he was assigned to the Archdiocese of Lingayen where he worked in a number of parishes for 30 years and proved to be a “Jack of all trade”! He was a provider, a builder, a man of many practical ideas for the welfare of his people.  He also set up the Procure in Hong Kong, a rest home in Baguio City and for a period was assigned to the Filipino ministry in London. Fathr Jack was a member of the Promotion team in Ireland in 1988-1994.  From 1994 onwards he worked in his home-diocese of Kerry, in the parishes of Ballinskelligs and Cahirciveen where he enjoyed a great rapport with his own people. Leading the refurbishment of the Cahirciveen church was his final construction achievement. He was honoured by being buried in the same church grounds.

 July 2

FR. TERENCE CROWE was born in 1923 in Islandbaun, Ennistymon, County Clare, Irleand. He died on July 2, 1997 in Navan Hospital. Father Terry went to Dalgan seminary in 1942 having received his secondary education at St. Mary’s College, Galway, and was ordained priest there on December 21, 1948. He was assigned to the Philippines and worked on the island of Mindanao, in Iligan and Pagadian. Due to continuing ill health, he went [1960] to the U.S. Region where he helped in the Omaha office and in pastoral ministry. His other assignments were bursar at Bristol [1962]; bursar and promotion at West Chester [1968]; bursar at Bayside, NY [1970]; bursar in Chicago [1972]; office and house Superior in Omaha [1974]; coordinator of Omaha promotion [1978]; St. Edward’s Parish, Seattle [1980]; then to Los Angeles which he left in 1990 for retirement in Dalgan. Fr. Terry is buried at Dalgan Park.

July 3

FR. CONELIUS CAMPION died in the Dalgan Nursing Home on July 3, 2014. Born in Ballagh, Errill, County Laois, Ireland on July 25, 1925, educated at Errill NS and St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, he came to Dalgan seminary in 1943 and was ordained on December 21, 1949.  Appointed to the Philippines in 1950, he spent the next thirty-four years in Mindanao, pastor of Ozamis City, Clarin, Tangub and Oroquieta City.  With his massive energy he visited even the most distant villages regularly, and worked to ensure that the poor were treated justly. In 1984, he was appointed to mission promotion work, and from the Glasgow house, he visited most of the Catholic parishes in Scotland over the next four years. From 1989 to 1996 he worked in Belize, Central America, followed by three years pastoral work in Jamaica. On celebrating his Golden Jubilee in 1999 he returned to Dalgan Park, where he used his prodigious memory in the editorial offices of the Far East, and was always available to do shopping for those who were less mobile, or to bring a group out for a drive on a sunny afternoon. He is buried in Dalgan Park.

Columban Fathers Richard Grimme and Cornelius Campion

Cota, Ozamiz City

FR. VINCENT LYONS was born in 1922 at Fohenagh, County Galway, Ireland. He died on July 3, 1992 at Manila Doctors Hospital after earlier undergoing heart surgery. Having completed his secondary studies at St. Joseph’s College, Ballinasloe [1936-41], Father Vinnie entered Dalgan seminary in 1941 and was ordained priest there on December 21, 1947. Appointed to the Philippines in 1948, he was one of the first six Columbans who went in 1951 to work in Zambales Province. He served as Director of St. Columban’s College in Olongapo City and in 1965 he was Director of Student Catholic Action in Manila. Father Vinnie is buried at Olongapo City. He was re-interred in St. Columban’s Church, Olongapo City.

July 4

FR. GERALD M. COGAN was born at Westland Row, Dublin, Ireland in 1904. He died at Dalgan on July 4, 1983.  Fathers Gary, as he was commonly called, received his education at Christian Brothers School, Synge Street, Dublin and at the Carmelite College, Terenure, Dublin before going to Mungret College, Limerick where he studied philosophy [1920-24]. He came to Dalgan seminary in 1924 and was ordained priest there in 1928.  Father Gary spent the next 53 years in the Philippines. In 1951, he was Superior of the first group of Columbans to work in Zambales. He was Vicar-General to Bishop Guerrero and later to Columban Bishop Henry Byrne. His last years in the Philippines were spent in Malate parish, Manila. He returned to Ireland in 1982.  Father Gary is buried at Dalgan Park.

July 6

FR. WILLIAM HEFFERNAN was born in 1923 in the historical area of Kilmichael, County Cork, Ireland. He died at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan on July 6, 2008. Having completed his secondary studies at St. Finbarr’s College, Farranferris, Cork he came to Dalgan seminary in 1941 and was ordained priest there on December 21, 1947.  Assigned to the Philippines, Father Liam briefly served in Mindanao and then spent more than fifty years in Negros. Quiet, conscientious and a dedicated pastor, Father Liam was a generous and welcoming host to all callers. He retired in 2003 to the Columban house in Batang. Declining health forced him, in 2007, to retire to the Dalgan Nursing Home where he celebrated his Diamond Jubilee of Ordination in 2007.  Father Liam is buried at Dalgan Park.

July 7

FR. PAUL O’MALLEY was in born in Clinton, Massachusetts, USA.  He was drafted into the US Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific.  After the war he trained as a teacher and taught in the Boston Pubic Schools.  Encounters with Columban seminarians awakened his interest in the priesthood and he was ordained in Milton on December 21, 1957.  In 1958, he went to the Philippines where he spent thirteen years in the Prelature of Iba.  Returning to the US he worked in vocation ministry and mission education before taking renewal programmes and further study followed by pastoral education at Makati Medical Center.  In 1977, Father Paul joined in team ministry in Norwich, Connecicut and from 1983-87 was pastor to the Filipino community in Los Angeles, USA.  A three-month Columban renewal course in Baguio City led him to the new Columban mission in Jamaica for seven years.  Rheumatoid arthritis forced him to receive treatment in Los Angeles in 1992 and to his re-assignment to the US Region in 1994, where he assisted at St. Columban Church in Los Angeles for a year.  He moved to senior housing in Clinton, close to his brother and friends.  Around his eightieth birthday, Father Paul moved into the Columban Retirement Home.  Throughout his life, Father Paul nurtured friendships with many people.  His caring nature and sense of humor endeared him to all.  He died on July 7, 2018 at St. Elizabeth Minor, Bristol, Rhode Island and is buried in the family plot of St. John Cemetery, Lancaster, Massachusetts.