Showing 330 results

Early Life and Academic Formation
Emilian Meade was born John Joseph Meade on 8 May 1919, in Knocknagree, County Cork, to John and Helena Meade. He received his secondary education at the Capuchin Franciscan College in Rochestown, County Cork. In 1938, he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order, making his simple profession in 1939 and his solemn profession in 1942. His higher education comprised philosophical studies at University College Cork, followed by theological studies in Ard Mhuire Friary in County Donegal. He was ordained to the priesthood there in 1946.

Educational Apostolates in California
In 1947, Father Meade was transferred to the West Coast of the United States to join the faculty of the newly opened St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California. He dedicated many years to the institution as both an instructor and administrator, serving two distinct tenures as school principal:

• First Term as Principal: 1952-1956
• Second Term as Principal: 1963-1965

Additionally, he served a brief tenure as a member of the teaching faculty at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.

Provincial Governance and the Founding of San Lorenzo Seminary

Father Meade entered executive leadership upon his election as Custos Provincial of the Western American Custody, serving from 1956 to 1962. Upon taking office, he heavily emphasized spiritual renewal, urging the friars to ‘pray for vocations’, and continued the foundational administrative work initiated by his predecessor, Father Stephen Murtagh OFM Cap.

His six-year provincial administration was defined by a major expansion milestone:

• Land Acquisition: Accepted an offer of land donated by the Hourihan family in the Santa Ynez Valley.
• Seminary Construction: Oversee the establishment and construction of San Lorenzo Seminary, which formally opened on 4 September 1962.
• Institutional Relocation: Successfully transitioned the novitiate from Wilmington, Delaware, to the West Coast, achieving a long-standing provincial objective to train novices locally in the West. Father Cyril Kelleher OFM Cap. was appointed the seminary’s first Guardian, and Father Sebastian Ward OFM Cap. was named Novice-Master.

Following his provincial term, Father Meade returned to San Lorenzo Seminary from 1965 to 1969, serving as Guardian and overseeing structural developments and landscaping improvements to the friary grounds.

Parochial Ministry, Healthcare Chaplaincy, and Final Years
Following his administrative tenures, Father Meade shifted into local pastoral work and healthcare chaplaincy:

• Burlingame, California: Served a brief assignment as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Angels Parish.
• Fresno, California: Transferred in 1975 to serve as Guardian of the Fresno Friars and Chaplain to the Fresno Community Hospital.

While stationed in Fresno, Father Meade developed a chronic heart condition that significantly altered his active routine. In 1991, he returned to Our Lady of Angels Rectory in Burlingame, spending the final ten years of his life in retirement. Father Emilian Meade died on 4 August 2001. He was buried in the cemetery attached to San Lorenzo Seminary, Santa Inés, California.

Baptismal name: Eugene McSweeney
Religious name: Fr. Gerard McSweeney OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 7 Mar. 1928
Place of birth: Millstreet, County Cork
Name of father: Denis McSweeney
Name of mother: Teresa McSweeney (née O’Sullivan)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 2 Oct. 1947
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1948
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1951
Date of ordination (as priest): 19 May 1955
Educational attainments: BA (1951)
Date of death: 24 July 1963
Place of death: Richmond Hospital, Dublin
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, County Cork

John McNamara was born in Glin, County Limerick, on 10 September 1931. He was baptised in the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Glin in the Diocese of Limerick. He attended the national school in Glin after which he received his secondary education at Rochestown College in County Cork. He was admitted to the Capuchin novitiate in Rochestown on 3 October 1950. Following his temporary profession in Rochestown a year later, he was transferred to St. Bonaventure’s Friary in Cork from where he attended University College Cork for three years, after which he was conferred with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He made his perpetual profession in St. Bonaventure’s on 4 October 1954 and then made his way to Ard Mhuire Friary in Donegal for theological studies. He was ordained to the priesthood by William McNeely, Bishop of Raphoe, in St. Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny on 15 May 1958. Later that year, he commenced Canon Law studies in Rome and obtained a Licentiate in 1960. On 17 August 1960, Fr. Donatus departed for the Irish Capuchin mission in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He first served as assistant pastor in St Therese’s and in Maramba, both in the Livingstone Diocese, from 1960 to 1963. He then went on to teach seminarians in St. John’s in Mongu, in Limulunga and in Nalionwa (Kalabo) from 1964 to 1978. He was rector of the school at Limulunga from 1965 to 1978. He returned to Ireland in 1978, when he became a member of the staff at Rochestown College, teaching there for the next ten years. In 1988 he was appointed Mission Secretary and worked out of the mission office at the Church Street Friary in Dublin. In 1998, he returned to Zambia. He was posted to Malengwa Friary in Mongu, the capital of the Western Province in Zambia, and was appointed chaplain to Mongu Teacher Training College. After a two-year stay (2008-10), in St. Pio Friary, Fr. Donatus was transferred to the recently built Capuchin novitiate at the Camerino Friary in Lusaka, where he lived until his death on 5 July 2021. He was buried in the cemetery attached to the Camerino Friary.

Baptismal name: John McNamara
Religious name: Fr. Donatus McNamara OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 10 Sept. 1931
Place of birth: Glin, County Limerick
Name of father: Thomas McNamara
Name of mother: Brigid McNamara (née Egan)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 3 Oct. 1950
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1951
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1954
Date of ordination (as priest): 15 May 1958
Educational attainments: BA, 2nd class hons. (1954); Licentiate in Canon Law, Rome (1960)
Missionary activities: Travelled to Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia), on 17 Aug. 1960. He returned to Ireland on 10 Aug. 1976. He returned to Zambia in Sept. 1998.
Date of death: 5 July 2021
Place of death: St. Clare’s Hospital, Makeni, Lusaka, Zambia
Place of burial: Cemetery, Capuchin Novitiate, Camerino Friary, Lusaka, Zambia

Thomas McNamara was Provincial of the Irish Vincentian Province 1864-1867. He was President of Castleknock College for the same three years.
Here is an article which was published by Gary Culliton in the Irish Medical Times about Father McNamara's being 'solely or partly responsible for the founding of a large number of Dublin medical institutions': https://www.knockunion.ie/news/thomas-mcnamara-cm-svc-president-1864-67-9763

Buried in Castleknock: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/259983682/thomas-mcnamara_cm

Baptismal name: Leo McKnight
Religious name: Fr. Bruno McKnight OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 14 July 1929
Place of birth: Kilkeel, County Down (Diocese of Down and Connor)
Name of father: Thomas McKnight
Name of mother: Elizabeth McKnight (née Hughes)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 3 Oct. 1949
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1950
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1953
Date of ordination (as priest): 30 May 1957
Educational attainments: BA (1953)
Missionary activities: Travelled to Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia), on 5 Nov. 1957; Zambian Mission Custody Consultor, from 1973-6, 1976-9; Regular Superior of the Zambian Mission Custody from 1979-85.
Date of death: 21 Dec. 2012
Place of death: Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, Dublin
Place of burial: Dardistown Cemetery, Dublin

Baptismal name: Thomas McKenna
Religious name: Fr. Damascene McKenna OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 20 Mar. 1913
Place of birth: Londonbridge Road, Sandymount, Dublin
Name of father: Patrick McKenna
Name of mother: Sarah McKenna (née Moran)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 15 Nov. 1931
Date of first profession: 16 Nov. 1932
Date of final profession: 16 Nov. 1935
Date of ordination (as priest): 18 June 1939
Educational attainments: BA (1935)
Missionary activities: Travelled to Barotseland, Northern Rhodesia on 12 Sept. 1939. He was later a missionary in Cape Town, South Africa.
Date of death: 17 Sept. 1967
Place of death: Cape Town, South Africa
Place of burial: Maitland Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa

Baptismal name: Patrick McGirr
Religious name: Fr. Macartan McGirr OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 4 May 1894
Place of birth: Ballygawley, County Tyrone
Name of father: Henry McGirr (Farmer)
Name of mother: Isabella McGirr (née Montague)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 27 Aug. 1914
Date of first profession: 15 Oct. 1915
Date of final profession: 15 Oct. 1918
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1923
Educational attainments: BA (1919)
Date of death: 31 Oct. 1954
Place of death: Capuchin Hostel, Raheny, County Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Eugene McGillicuddy was born in Cork on 8 September 1901. An enthusiastic and prominent member of the Third Order of St. Francis confraternity in his native city, he entered the Capuchin novitiate in April 1939 and took Gabriel as his religious name. After his profession, he was for some years a member of the Ard Mhuire community in County Donegal. He subsequently volunteered for the African missions and arrived in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in February 1946. Br. Gabriel initially worked in Mukunkiki with Fr. Aquinas Carroll OFM Cap. and Fr. Salvator Quinn OFM Cap. In 1948, a decision was taken to move this mission to Mangango, located about thirty kilometres distant, and Br. Gabriel enjoyed a long association with this locality. He was particularly involved in the construction of mission churches, hospitals, and schools. In 1959, Fr. Bruno McKnight OFM Cap. and Br. Gabriel began work on the church of Saint Michael the Archangel and adjoining school at Nalionwa. This work was completed in 1960. He also supervised the construction of Saint John’s Secondary School in Katongo (1962) and Holy Cross Secondary School in Malengwa (1964). Br. Gabriel returned to Ireland in July 1983. He died at Ard Mhuire Capuchin Friary in County Donegal on 7 July 1998 and was buried in the adjoining cemetery.

Baptismal name: Eugene Joseph McGillicuddy
Religious name: Br. Gabriel McGillicuddy OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 8 Sept. 1901
Place of birth: 5 King’s Terrace, Cork
Name of father: Daniel McGillicuddy (Grocer)
Name of mother: Ellen McGillicuddy (née Molyneaux)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 21 Apr. 1939
Date of first profession: 22 Apr. 1940
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1943
Missionary activities: Travelled to Barotseland, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia), on 21 Feb. 1946. He returned to Ireland on 21 July 1983.
Date of death: 8 July 1998
Place of death: Ard Mhuire Friary, County Donegal
Place of burial: Cemetery, Ard Mhuire Friary, County Donegal

Baptismal name: Alphonsus McGarry
Religious name: Fr. Columban McGarry OFM Cap.
Place of birth: Rasharkin, County Antrim (Diocese of Down & Connor)
Date of birth: 20 April 1901
Name of father: Patrick McGarry
Name of mother: M.A. McGarry (née Cleland)
Date of reception into Capuchin Order: 18 September 1921
Date of first profession: 15 October 1922
Date of final profession: 22 December 1925
Date of ordination (Rome): 29 July 1928
Education: BA (1st class honours): 1925; Doctorate in Divinity, 1929 (Rome); Licentiate of Sacred Scripture, 1931 (Rome).
Ministries: Spiritual Director of the Pontifical Ethiopian College at the Vatican from 1966-70; Guardian of St. Fidelis Hospice, Rome, from 1970-5; returned to Ireland in 1975 and was appointed to the Church Street community in Dublin.
Date of death: 24 December 1987
Place of death: Fahan Nursing Home, County Donegal
Place of burial: Cemetery, Ard Mhuire Capuchin Friary, County Donegal