Below is an edited version of the Homily delivered by Fr Anthony Kelly SMA during the Funeral Mass of Fr Michael Igoe SMA on July 5th, 2025.
I first met Mick in Wilton when I was a student in September 1969 and while he was there recovering from Malaria he was teaching us Missiology which consisted of Mick telling us stories of his experiences in Nigeria. He was in his late 30s then and played football with him but he was so elusive and selling dummies that we nicknamed him Tricky Mickey.
He had that sense of Presence about him. One might be excused for thinking that Mike would live forever he having reached within one day of being 94. Indeed, it was strange yesterday evening to arrive back in Cork and not find him out walking.
Two reasons why I have taken this Gospel Passage for Mick’s funeral. Firstly, because it reminds us that it is by dying that we reach eternal life. Today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that the grain of wheat must die if it is to bear fruit. It is the story of our Salvation. Mick was close to The Lord, to the land and close to nature so he would easily have realised that and understand and accepted this message of the Gospel. It was Jesus way of telling us in simple language that when we die and lose this life on Earth like a grain of seed we will be born into a new life that goes on forever, eternal Life. He was content with that, Mick has now begun this new life with the Lord.
Secondly because I believe The Good Lord used Mick and his gifts to spread his Gospel message. If you could take the imagine the Lord the Sower scattering seeds, Mick with all his gifts being blown into the Field of Life in Africa in particular Nigeria & Zambia. Imagine the Sun and the rain shining and falling on that seed in the form of God’s Love and Care. Eventually that seed burst forth with a response of Great Love from Mick as God used the gifts of Mick to shower His Blessings & love on the people in Africa where Mick lived as a disciple of Christ.
The Lord Blessed Mick with many talents and these talents were like seeds that He scattered in making Mick a successful missionary. I would like to quote the first line of our Constitutions which Mick lived out to the full, “We are a community of Christ’s Disciples bonded together by our common response to his command to proclaim the kingdom of God; Go out to the whole world proclaim the good news to all creation “ Matt 16:15
He was a simple down to earth human being with no airs and graces always approachable with the following human characteristics which he used to win people’s hearts. He was fun loving often playing jokes and pranks.
He loved to socialise and engage with people and when he made friends with people he never forgot them but always kept in touch with letters and cards. Once in the early 60’s when he was going back to Africa he sat beside people from Ballinasloe that he kept in touch with and visited during holidays. He loved telling stories of his experiences
Mick was a very hard worker and was committed to Mission. He built many fine Churches in Zambia employing local people these churches were strong substantial buildings that will last. In one new Church he had finished and the menfolk came to complain that the women were kneeling in the pews on their side, Mick’s answer was typical, he said; “Well ye sleep with them so ye may as well let them pray with ye”.
Not only did he build physical Buildings he also built Christian Communities and those people never forgot him but always loved him and respected him and looked up to him. But the great thing about Mick was that he had a balance he worked hard but enjoyed his day off every week with a game of golf in the morning and spent the afternoon shopping for the parish retreat centre where he worked. He loved the St Patrick’s Day parties and the bi annual golf tournament namely the Nelson’s Pillar tournament
Mick had a great bond with his family and always looked forward to visiting Tubberclare and receiving visits from his nieces and nephews and many friends. Again, he kept in touch with so many volunteers who came to work in Africa. I will let his family tell you about that.
He was an eternal student a little over a year ago he was busy at his desk with a French dictionary trying to learn some French phrase. He was gifted with languages, when I first got to meet him in Wilton he was learning Spanish in order to go to Argentina only to be told that he would go instead to Zambia which he took in his stride and became fluent in Chibemba the local language. Later learned Chinyanga the language of Lusaka which he kept improving on in his late 70’s Mick kept himself busy learning new things about the people the culture, the country, its customs and history and languages. He used to say that to really know something, that you had to be taught how to do it. Then learn by doing it and then you could teach someone else how to do it. He enjoyed poetry and song always had a party piece ready such as the Westmeath Batchelor or Phil the Fluter’s ball. One of his favourite poems was The village school master by Oliver Goldsmith which was set in his native Westmeath.
He was extremely generous to the African people and helped many mothers with school fees for their families He sponsored many young people through College and secondary school. He believed in helping people to help themselves and around Fatima in Ndola he created a farm where students would come and harvest and those who worked on it would get their school fees.
As we said earlier he was a very practical man and was never beaten, very determined never gave up. An example of it was when he was in an outstation village 16 miles away building a church but when he was about to come home in the evening he found that all the gears in the car failed to work except reverse so Mick reversed all the way home with only a crik in his neck for a few days. Even in his final illness he felt he could beat it. Which he did with he being out walking on the very day he entered hospital.
This is probably why Mick chose today’s reading from 2 Timothy which he shared recently with a family member telling her “I fought the good fight, I have finished the race I have kept the Faith”. We can have no doubt that the remainder of that verse is also true There is the crown of Righteousness reserved for Mick. He also had a say in the choice of the First reading. Perhaps it was because of the suffering he endured recently with his illness but he accepted that God was perhaps testing him like gold in a furnace but Mick also knew that the Lord would keep his Word namely, “ The faithful will abide with him in Love , because Grace and Mercy await those he loves.”
May Mick’s gentle soul rest In Peace.