Showing 206 results

Born in Sheastown in County Kilkenny, Michael Butler entered the Capuchin novitiate on 25 September 1896 taking Casimir as his religious name. He was ordained a priest in September 1903 and was subsequently appointed to the teaching staff of the Seraphic College in Rochestown in County Cork. In 1910 he was among the first Irish friars to undertake missionary work in the United States. His first appointment was in Hermiston in Oregon which was then a desolate railroad settlement. The task awaiting him was daunting as Fr. Thomas Dowling OFM Cap. noted: ‘whoever is appointed to Hermiston must be prepared for a lonely, self-sacrificing life’. The Servite Fathers who had arrived in Hermiston in early 1909, left the diocese in January 1910. Casimir began work immediately in Hermiston and completed a small church with a second-floor dwelling reached by an outside ladder. In 1912, with the assistance of Fr. Malachy Hynes OFM Cap., a new location was secured from the Maxwell Land and Irrigation Company. Fr. Brendan O’Callaghan OFM Cap. replaced Fr. Malachy in 1913 and Fr. Seraphin O’Reilly OFM Cap. arrived the following year. Together the friars built a new church which was consecrated on 24 October 1915. Before he left Hermiston, Casimir had built three mission churches including the Church of St. Patrick at Umatilla in Oregon. From Hermiston he went to the Old Mission Santa Inés in California where he and Fr. Stephen Murtagh OFM Cap. took charge following the death of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. on 14 February 1925. In 1929 Casimir joined the newly established Irish Capuchin mission in Cape Town, South Africa. In January 1932 he was appointed the first Superior Regular of the Irish Capuchin mission in Africa. He also ministered for some years in the pioneering Capuchin mission in Barotseland in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). Ill-health forced his return to Ireland from Africa in December 1946. He died in Dublin on 18 January 1958 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Baptismal name: Michael Butler
Religious name: Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 12 Oct. 1876
Place of birth: Kilkenny, Diocese of Ossory
Name of father: Tobias Butler
Name of mother: Catherine Butler (née Murphy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 25 Sept. 1896
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1897
Date of solemn profession: 2 Aug. 1902
Date of ordination (as priest): 13 Sept. 1903
Educational attainments: BA (RUI), 1901
Missionary assignments: Travelled to Hermiston, Oregon in 1910; Travelled to South Africa in 1929; Returned to Ireland in December 1946
Leadership positions: Superior Regular Foreign Missions in Africa (1932)
Date of death: 18 Jan. 1958
Place of death: Church Street, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Baptismal name: John Butler
Religious name: Br. Colman Butler OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 28 Feb. 1890
Place of birth: Kilgreana, Rosslee, County Mayo
Name of father: Edward Butler (Farmer)
Name of mother: Margaret Butler (née Flannery)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 17 Dec. 1922
Date of first profession: 10 Feb. 1924
Date of final profession: 10 Feb. 1927
Date of death: 1 Dec. 1958
Place of death: Kilkenny County Hospital (now St. Luke’s General Hospital)
Place of burial: Foulkstown Cemetery, County Kilkenny

Patrick Butler was born in Sheastown, County Kilkenny, on 6 February 1873. He joined the Capuchins in 1890 (taking John as his religious name) and was ordained a priest in January 1899. For the following three years he worked as a science teacher in the Capuchin College in Rochestown, County Cork. He subsequently joined the missionary staff and was involved in giving missions and retreats throughout Ireland. In 1914, he travelled to Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. He spent nearly two years in the United States assisting Irish Capuchin missionaries in preaching activities. Following the outbreak of the First World War, he returned to Ireland, and in April 1916 was appointed a chaplain in the British Army with the rank of Captain. He served for a short time with the home garrisons in Canterbury and in Blackpool. He was later sent to the Middle East and Palestine as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), an Allied military formation which fought the Ottoman Turks for control of this strategically important region. He was present at the Battle of Gaza (March 1917), and at the capture of Jerusalem (December 1917), and later acted as chaplain in a casualty clearing station in Damascus. Fr. John returned to Ireland in 1919 and spent the following eleven years in the Capuchin Friary on Church Street in Dublin. In 1930 he moved to Cork and was attached to the community at Holy Trinity Friary. He remained in Cork until his death on 3 October 1950.

Baptismal name: John Butler
Religious name: Fr. John Butler OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 6 February 1873
Place of birth: Sheastown, County Kilkenny (Diocese of Ossory)
Name of father: Tobias Butler
Name of mother: Catherine Butler (née Murphy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 23 June 1890
Date of first profession: 15 Aug. 1891
Date of final profession: 11 Oct. 1896
Date of ordination (as priest): 8 Jan. 1899
Missionary activity: Travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States on 18 May 1914; Returned to Ireland on 25 Mar. 1916.
Educational attainments: BA (RUI)
Date of death: 3 Oct. 1950
Place of death: Cork
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, Cork
Note: Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap. (1876-1958) was a younger brother of Fr. John Butler OFM Cap.

William Byrne was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, on 6 July 1887. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans on 23 May 1908 and took Aidan as his religious name. He made his solemn profession on 12 October 1912. For many years he was associated with the House of Studies at St. Bonaventure’s in Cork. He was later appointed a Brother Questor and collected alms to support the friars for over twenty years. He died in Dublin on 1 June 1963 and was buried in the Capuchin plot in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Baptismal name: William Byrne
Religious name: Br. Aidan Byrne OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 6 July 1887
Place of birth: Duffy’s Gate, Enniscorthy, County Wexford (Diocese of Ferns)
Name of father: Edward Byrne (Painter)
Name of mother: Mary Byrne (née Atkins)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 23 May 1908
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1909
Date of final profession: 12 Oct. 1912
Date of death: 1 June 1963
Place of death: Bons Secours Hospital, Glasnevin, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Baptismal name: James Alan Cameron
Religious name: Br. Peter Cameron OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 16 Oct. 1930
Place of birth: Liverpool, England
Name of father: Thomas
Name of mother: Anna
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 31 Oct. 1964
Date of first profession: 1 Nov. 1965
Date of final profession: 1 Nov. 1968
Date of death: 18 Mar. 1985
Place of death: Ard Mhuire Friary, County Donegal
Place of burial: Cemetery, Ard Mhuire Friary, County Donegal

Francis Cantillon was born near the village of Glounthaune in County Cork on 20 June 1880. He attended the local diocesan seminary for several years, but after some discernment entered the Capuchin novitiate in September 1899. Having completed his philosophical and theological studies, he was ordained on 16 March 1907. In 1910 he was appointed guardian (local superior) of the Capuchin friary in Kilkenny. Following the completion of his term as guardian, he engaged in the ministry of preaching missions and retreats throughout Ireland. He was transferred to the United States in 1926 and took up residence in Mendocino County in California. Later that year he assisted Fr. Thomas Dowling OFM Cap. in ministering in Visitation Valley near San Francisco. This assignment was a temporary one as within a few months the Irish friars were given the administration of the new parish of Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame, California. They resided there in a small house on Cortez Avenue. In 1931 Fr. Berchmans was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Angels parish in Ukiah, a position he filled until 1937 when he took up the position of pastor of the church of St. Francis of Assisi in Bend, Oregon. His health began to decline in subsequent years, and he retired from active ministry in 1940. He moved to Los Angeles and died there on 12 March 1942. He was laid to rest in the Capuchin plot in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Baptismal name: Francis Cantillon
Religious name: Fr. Berchmans Cantillon OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 20 June 1880
Place of birth: Rockfarm, Glounthaune, County Cork
Name of father: Denis Cantillon
Name of mother: Mary Ellen Cantillon (née Mahony)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 8 Sept. 1899
Date of first profession: 8 Sept. 1900
Date of final profession: 25 Sept. 1904
Date of ordination (as priest): 16 Mar. 1907
Educational attainments: BA (RUI)
Missionary assignments: Travelled to Los Angeles, California, in 1926
Date of Death: 12 March 1942
Place of death: Queen of Angels Hospital, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place of burial: Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, United States

Baptismal name: David Matthew Carew
Religious name: Fr. Andrew Carew OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 20 Oct. 1902
Place of birth: Ballydavid, Templeneiry, Bansha, County Tipperary
Name of father: William Carew (Farmer)
Name of mother: Mary Carew
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 18 Sept. 1921
Date of first profession: 15 Oct. 1922
Date of final profession: 29 Dec. 1925
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 July 1928 (Rome)
Educational attainments: BA, 1st class hons. (1925); Doctor of Divinity (Rome), (1929)
Leadership positions: Guardian, Ard Mhuire Friary, County Donegal, 1943-52; Guardian, Rochestown Friary, County Cork, 1964-7; Mission Secretary for nine years
Date of death: 2 Dec. 1987
Place of death: Kilkenny
Place of burial: Foulkstown Cemetery, County Kilkenny

Baptismal name: Patrick Carroll
Religious name: Fr. Alphonsus Carroll OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 17 Aug. 1874
Place of birth: Killacolla, County Limerick
Name of father: John Carroll (Farmer)
Name of mother: Elizabeth Carroll (née Barry)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 24 Aug. 1902
Date of first profession: 17 Sept. 1903
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1906
Date of ordination (as priest): 5 Sept. 1909
Date of death: 27 Aug. 1934
Place of death: Lindville Hospital, Cork
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, County Cork

Baptismal name: Henry Carroll
Religious name: Fr. Eugene Carroll OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 21 Oct. 1889
Place of birth: 84 Rathmore Buildings, Cork
Name of father: Eugene Carroll (Cooper)
Name of mother: Mary Carroll (née Buckley)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 23 Oct. 1907
Date of first profession: 8 Dec. 1908
Date of final profession: 19 Dec. 1912
Date of ordination (as priest): 16 May 1916
Educational attainments: MA (1934)
Leadership positions: Provincial Definitor (Councillor): 1934-7, 1937-40, 1940-3, 1943-6, 1946-9; Master of Novices; Rector of Seraphic College, Rochestown, County Cork, 1934-55
Date of death: 29 Oct. 1967
Place of death: South Infirmary, Cork
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, County Cork

John Joseph Carroll was born near Nenagh in County Tipperary on 15 February 1903. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans in September 1921 and took Finian as his religious name. Having completed his philosophical and theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1929. Shortly afterwards, he volunteered for missionary work in the United States. His first assignment was in the Parish of St. Mary of the Angels in Ukiah, California. He remained assistant pastor in Ukiah until 1933 when he was assigned to Our Lady of Angels Parish in Burlingame, California. In August 1939 he was appointed pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Elk, California. In the following years he had many assignments, moving between California and Oregon and ministering in various Capuchin foundations. From July 1939 to July 1943, he was pastor at Mission Santa Inés, Solvang, California. He then moved to St. Joseph’s Parish in Roseburg, Oregon (1943-4). From 1944 to 1950, he was assistant pastor in Ukiah California. He then served as custodian at the Capuchin Friary in McKenzie Ridge, Oregon (1950-2). In 1952 he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Fort Bragg, California. Here he was successful in building a new church and rectory and relocating the parish hall to the new property. In 1956 he moved to the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Los Angeles and was appointed pastor. He immediately began raising funds for the construction of a new church. By the time he retired from the parish in 1964, the new church was completed and was open for services. In 1969 he was transferred to Mission Santa Inés in California. This was to be his last appointment as his health had begun to decline. In September 1971, he returned to Ireland to celebrate his Golden Jubilee as Capuchin Franciscan friar. He suffered a heart attack on 16 September 1971 in Nenagh, County Tipperary. He was buried in the Capuchin plot in Foulkstown Cemetery in County Kilkenny.

Baptismal name: John Joseph Carroll
Religious name: Fr. Finian Carroll OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 15 Feb. 1903
Place of birth: Belleen, Nenagh, County Tipperary (Diocese of Killaloe)
Name of father: Hugh Carroll
Name of mother: Julia Carroll (née Slattery)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 18 Sept. 1921
Date of first profession: 15 Oct. 1922
Date of final profession: 29 Dec. 1925
Educational attainments: BA (NUI), 1925
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1929
Missionary activities: Travelled to the American mission custody in 1929
Date of death: 17 Sept. 1971
Place of death: Nenagh, County Tipperary
Place of burial: Foulkstown Cemetery, County Kilkenny