Showing 277 results

Baptismal name: Frederick O’Brien
Religious name: Fr. Sebastian O’Brien OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 26 Feb. 1867
Place of birth: Dublin
Name of father: John O’Brien
Name of mother: Anne O’Brien (née Molloy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 11 June 1887
Date of first profession: 18 June 1888
Date of final profession: 22 Feb. 1892
Date of ordination: 18 Oct. 1894
Date of death: 12 Sept. 1931
Place of death: Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Mortimer O’Shea was born in Glengarriff in County Cork on New Year’s Day in 1897. His early studies were in the local national school. In 1908 he enrolled in the Seraphic College in Rochestown, County Cork. He entered the Capuchin novitiate in August 1914 and took Cassian as his religious name. He was awarded a degree in Irish studies from University College Cork in 1919. Following the completion of his theological studies, he was ordained in Holy Trinity Church in Cork on 29 June 1923. Soon after his ordination, he went to Rome for further studies. He received a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1926. On his return to Ireland, he spent seventeen years teaching Canon Law to theological students at Ard Mhuire Capuchin Friary in County Donegal. He served as guardian (local superior) of Ard Mhuire from 1937 to 1943. A gifted Irish scholar, he published several works in the language. Following the completion of his term as guardian at Ard Mhuire, he was transferred to the Kilkenny Friary and served as Vicar and Master of Lay Novices. In 1947 he volunteered for the American Mission. His initial assignment was in St. Patrick’s Friary in Wilmington in Delaware where he served as guardian for six years. He moved to the West Coast in 1958 and spent one year as assistant pastor in St. Mary’s Parish in Ukiah, California. From there he moved to Our Lady of Angels Friary in Burlingame. Other assignments included associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Los Angeles and chaplain at St. Charles Hospital in Bend, Oregon. He died in Los Angeles on 16 February 1981 and was buried in the cemetery attached to San Lorenzo Seminary at the Santa Inez Mission in California.

Baptismal name: Mortimer O’Shea
Religious name: Fr. Cassian O’Shea OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 1 Jan. 1897
Place of birth: Glengarriff, County Cork
Name of father: Patrick O’Shea
Name of mother: Elizabeth O’Shea (née O’Sullivan)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 27 Aug. 1914
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1915
Date of final profession: 29 June 1923
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1923 (Holy Trinity Church, Cork)
Educational attainments: BA, 1919; Doctorate in Canon Law (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome), 1926
Missionary activities: Travelled to the United States on 29 July 1947
Date of death: 16 February 1981
Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Place of burial: Cemetery, San Lorenzo Seminary, Santa Inez Mission, California

Thomas Killian was born in County Longford on 26 February 1896. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans at Rochestown Friary in County Cork in August 1914. He took Conleth as his religious name upon joining the Order. After the completion of his theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1923. Shortly afterwards, he was transferred to the Irish Capuchin mission in the United States. In 1926 he was appointed Vice-Principal of St. Anthony’s College in Mendocino City in California. At the time there were forty students, four priests and three brothers in residence. In 1928 he was assigned to be an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he stayed until 1934. He worked at other assignments in California and Oregon until his death in October 1950. He is buried in Ukiah, California.

Baptismal name: Thomas Killian
Religious name: Fr. Conleth Killian OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 26 Feb. 1896
Place of birth: Inchenagh, County Longford (Diocese of Ardagh)
Name of father: Luke Killian (Farmer)
Name of mother: Teresa Killian (née Chapman)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 27 Aug. 1914
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1915
Date of final profession: 8 Sept. 1918
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1923
Educational attainments: BA (1919)
Missionary activities: Travelled to the Western United States mission on 14 Oct. 1923
Date of death: 5 Oct. 1950
Place of death: Roseburg, Oregon, United States
Place of burial: Ukiah, California, United States

John Joseph Guihen was born in Keadue, a small village in County Roscommon, on 12 February 1898. He was received into the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Kilkenny in August 1914 and took Felix as his religious name. He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1923. Following his ordination, he was sent to Rome for further studies and received a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1926 (one of the first Irish friars to obtain such a degree). During his time in the Italian capital, he wrote an article on the Vatican Missionary Exposition of 1925 (‘The Father Mathew Record’, 18, no. 6. June 1925, pp 171-73). On his return to Ireland, he was appointed a lector in theological studies, first in Rochestown Friary in County Cork and later at Ard Mhuire Friary in County Donegal. For twenty years he acted as a lector for clerical students while also holding the office of Vicar in Ard Mhuire. He wrote a series of pamphlets on the Old Testament which were published by the Catholic Truth Society of Ireland (CTSI) in the 1930s and 1940s. He also held the office of Secretary of the Irish Capuchin Province from 1955 to 1967. He died in the Church Street Friary in Dublin on 14 August 1981 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Baptismal name: John Joseph Guihen
Religious name: Fr. Felix Guihen OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 12 Feb. 1898
Place of birth: Keadue, County Roscommon (Diocese of Ardagh)
Name of father: Martin Guihen (Farmer)
Name of mother: Anne Guihen (née McDermott)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 27 Aug. 1914
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1915
Date of final profession: 12 Apr. 1919
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1923
Educational attainments: BA (1919); Licentiate in Sacred Scripture, Rome (1926)
Leadership positions: Provincial Secretary, 1955-67
Date of death: 14 Aug. 1981
Place of death: Church Street Friary, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Daniel Roche was born in Newcastle West in County Limerick on 30 July 1898. He was educated in the local primary school in Newcastle West and later at the Capuchin College in Rochestown, County Cork. He entered the Capuchin Order in August 1914 and took Fintan as his religious name. He made his solemn profession as a friar in 1920. He graduated with a philosophy degree from University College Cork and studied theology at Rochestown. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Daniel Cohalan in Holy Trinity Church, Cork, on 29 June 1923. Shortly after his ordination, in October 1923, he travelled to the United States as a missionary friar. Ten years later, he became one of the pioneering missionaries in the newly established Capuchin mission territory in Barotseland in Northern Rhodesia. While in Africa, he contributed regularly to ‘The Father Mathew Record’, a popular monthly publication of the Irish Capuchins which promoted the Order’s overseas’ missions (particularly in Africa). He returned to Ireland in 1940 to engage in fundraising activities to support the Order’s missionary endeavours. A decision was made to send Fr. Fintan back to the United States in January 1944. However, he suffered a serious accident during his transatlantic passage when the ship he was travelling on encountered a severe storm. He continued to suffer from ill-health in the years following his return to America. He spent some years as Pastor in McKenzie Bridge, a picturesque if isolated region located about halfway between Roseburg and Bend in Oregon on the American Pacific coast. In 1950, he described his life in McKenzie Bridge as ‘nothing strange, weeding and Mass every day and peace’. However, his health continued to decline and following several heart attacks he left his remote rural abode in Oregon to reside in California. He died in the Capuchin Friary in Flintridge, north of Los Angeles in California on 9 May 1953.

Baptismal name: Daniel Roche
Religious name: Fr. Fintan Roche OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 30 July 1898
Place of birth: Newcastle West, County Limerick
Name of father: James Roche (Shopkeeper)
Name of mother: Anne Roche (née Downey)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 27 Aug. 1914
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1915
Date of final profession: 21 Mar. 1920
Date of ordination: 29 June 1923
Educational attainments: BA, 1919
Missionary activities: Travelled to the United States on 14 Oct. 1923; Travelled to Africa in 1933; Returned to Ireland in 1940; Travelled to the United States in January 1944
Date of death: 9 May 1953
Place of death: Flintridge, California

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

Edward Kennedy was born in County Tipperary on 9 January 1897. He joined the Capuchin Order in January 1915 and took Isidore as his religious name. He was transferred to the Irish Capuchin mission in the United States shortly after his ordination to the priesthood in 1924. From 1926 to 1928 he was assigned to the staff of St. Anthony’s College in Mendocino City in California where the friars had established a small foundation to train those aspiring to join the Order. In 1933 he was briefly transferred to Our Lady of Angels Parish in Burlingame. He spent a good portion of the 1930s in Arizona for health reasons after advice from doctors to seek a drier climate. Returning to the Pacific Coast, he spent some time at St. Benedict’s Parish in McKenzie Ridge in Oregon. He remained here until 17 June 1954 when he was appointed Pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Willits in California. In 1957 he was transferred to St. Mary’s Parish in Ukiah, California. In the 1960s he was a member of the Capuchin community at San Lorenzo Seminary at the Old Mission Santa Inés, Solvang, California. During this time, he worked as a chaplain to the Brothers of St John of God Rest Home in Ojai Valley. He spent his final years in a retirement home in Santa Barbara and died on 1 October 1973. He was buried in the cemetery adjacent to the Old Mission Santa Inés.

Baptismal name: Edward Kennedy
Religious name: Fr. Isidore Kennedy OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 9 Jan. 1897
Place of birth: Drombane, County Tipperary
Name of father: Thomas Kennedy
Name of mother: Margaret Kennedy (née McCarthy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 16 Jan. 1915
Date of first profession: 16 Jan. 1916
Date of final profession: 12 Apr. 1919
Date of ordination (as priest): 15 Mar. 1924
Missionary activities: Travelled to the Western American Mission in 1924.
Date of death: 1 Oct. 1973
Place of death: Santa Barbara, California, United States
Place of burial: Old Mission Santa Inés, Solvang, California, United States

Edward Cregan was born in Shanagolden in County Limerick on 19 October 1894. He was received into the Capuchin Order at Rochestown Friary in County Cork in February 1915 and took Colmcille as his religious name. Four years later he made his solemn profession. He was stationed in Rochestown College for two years before moving to Holy Trinity Friary in Cork city where he was resident for three years. His next appointment (1921) was as sacristan in St. Mary of the Angels on Church Street in Dublin. In 1924 he was sent as a missionary friar to California. Following the death of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., Pastor of the Santa Inés Mission, in February 1925, Br. Colmcille was sent there to lend assistance. He worked on various improvement projects at the old Franciscan mission. Aside from helping in the church and sacristy, he also designed and planted the boxwood Celtic cross in the mission garden. He returned to Ireland in the early 1930s and spent most of the religious life (forty years) as sacristan with the Church Street Capuchin community in Dublin. He died on 10 December 1979 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.

Baptismal name: Edward Cregan
Religious name: Br. Colmcille Cregan OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 19 Oct. 1894
Place of birth: Shanagolden, County Limerick
Name of father: Michael Cregan (Farmer)
Name of mother: Marry Cregan (née Sheehan)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 5 Feb. 1915
Date of first profession: 6 Feb. 1916
Date of final profession: 12 Apr. 1919
Missionary activities: Travelled to the Western United States mission custody in 1924. He returned to Ireland in 1931.
Date of death: 10 Dec. 1979
Place of death: Church Street Friary, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Baptismal name: David Mitchell
Religious name: Fr. Albert Mitchell OSFC
Date of birth: 18 Sept. 1831
Leadership positions: Elected Custos Provincial in August 1876; Guardian, Church Street Friary, Dublin, 1882-3; Founder of the Father Mathew Temperance Association, Church Street, Dublin, in 1880.
Date of death: 27 Sept. 1893

Baptismal name: Joseph Fegan
Religious name: Fr. Aengus Fegan OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 16 May 1927
Place of birth: St. Luke’s Cross, Cork
Name of father: Joseph Fegan
Name of mother: Angela Fegan (née Cooke)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 3 Oct. 1948
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1949
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1959
Date of ordination (as priest): 10 May 1959
Educational attainments: BA (NUI), 1952; Higher Diploma in Education (NUI), 1959
Ministries: Worked in the Capuchin College, Rochestown, County Cork (Secondary School) for most of life teaching art, English, and geography
Date of death: 3 June 2002
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, County Cork