Fr Des Corrigan recently returned from the concluding ceremonies marking the coming the Catholic Faith to Ekitiland in western Nigeria. There was much to celebrate and the Catholics of Ekiti put on a memorable and joyful celebration. Fr Corrigan witnessed, not for the first time, the way Nigerians celebrate and give thanks to God for His blessings. “When it comes to celebrating significant events no effort or expense is spared”, he states. Here is an edited version of his article.
The coming of the Faith
The people of Ekiti diocese were celebrating the centenary of the planting of a small seed in 1913. That year five young men left Usi-Ekiti and travelled to Ibadan to ask Fr. Louis Friess (a French SMA priest) to come to Usi to tell the people about the Catholic Faith. Fr. Friess accepted their invitation and, accompanied by these young, men travelled by train to Offa (now in Kwara State). They walked the rest of the journey to Usi-Ekiti.
On 19th March Fr. Freiss celebrated the first Mass in Ekitiland. After spending a short time in and around Usi he returned and reported to Bishop Terrien SMA in Lagos. Bishop Terrien soon sent Frs. Friess and Paulisen to evangelise Ekitiland. These were joined by Frs. Wouters and Georges Laugel, who became the best know missionary in Ekiti in the early years. (There is still St. George’s school in Ado and the church which is now the Cathedral was for many years St. George’s Church but somehow with the coming of the Irish SMAs it became St. Patrick’s.)
In their wildest dreams they could never have imagined or even hoped how the seed of the Gospel they planted would grow and blossom over the next 100 years.
Grand Finale of Celebrations
There have been many events over the past year celebrating that growth but the Grand Finale was a Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti on 19th Oct. 2013.
It was a very colourful, joyful occasion with the majority of people dressed in a beautiful specially designed aso ebe (cloth for special occasions) while the bishops and priests wore chasubles designed for the centenary. The cathedral was packed as were the seats under canopies and in a nearby hall. The Papal Nuncio (Archbishop Augustine Kasujja), Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja, about 20 bishops and over 200 priests concelebrated the Mass. The Bishop of Ekiti, Rt Rev Felix Ajakaye, was the principal celebrant.
Hundreds of Religious and thousands of the lay faithful participated with an obvious sense of joy, gratitude, pride and satisfaction. Two state governors along with the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, were joined by many civic leaders and traditional rulers.
The bishops and the guests were accommodated in the Ekiti diocesean pastoral centre which has 75 en-suite rooms. On the previous evening Bishop Ajakaye hosted a big celebratory dinner for invited guests. Our photo shows him greeting Fr Eddie Hartnett SMA who has been a missionary in the Archdicoese of Lagos for 46 years.
SMA Presence
Having worked for nearly 9 years in Ekiti after I first went to Nigeria I was very happy to be present for these celebrations and to represent the SMA Irish Province. I was conscious of the many SMAs who gave long and dedicated service in that area. Earlier in the week there was a Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral remembering all the deceased missionaries, priests, religious and catechists who had laboured in the Lord’s vineyard in Ekiti.
Fr. Reginald Nwuchukwu, SMA, (Bight of Benin DF Superior) and Fr. Eddie Hartnett SMA, who is ministering in the Badagry area, were also present flying the SMA flag. Bishop Ajakaye and Cardinal Onaiyekan, in his homily, paid tribute to the SMA missionaries who brought the Faith to Ekitiland. However, it struck me that the memory of SMA in Ekiti and in many such places where we worked in the past, but are no longer physically present, is fading fast. Generations of priests and laity are growing up who know little or nothing of the SMA. We need to find ways of keeping that memory alive and harvesting the fruits of it. Having an SMA presence at events like this is one way but we need to explore others before a rich history, tradition and connection with local churches are lost.
Growth of the Faith
It seems very appropriate that in the year of Faith the people of Ekiti celebrated 100 years of the Faith in their land. What struck me most forcibly was the extraordinary growth of the seed of Faith planted 100 years ago by the early SMA missionaries. In the early years the growth was slow but the SMA priests persevered, despite the hardships and setbacks.
Our pictures above and below show the immense growth in the Catholic faith in Nigeria – packed churches, local vocations – Cardinals, bishops, priests, sisters and Brothers. And all this work is supplemented by the trojan witness of thousands of lay catechists.
For the first 20 years Ado-Ekiti was the only parish and resident mission so the priests and catechists trekked from there all over Ekiti. In the mid to late 1930s Efon, Usi and Ilawe became parishes with priests living there.
It was 1946 before the first priest from Ekiti, Anthony Oguntuyi, was ordained. Ekiti, Ondo and Ilorin became a Vicariate in 1943 and in 1948 it became a diocese under Bishop Thomas Hughes SMA (from Hollymount, Co Mayo). He was succeeded by Bishop William Field SMA in 1958.
Bishop Ajakaye (right) is joined by the first bishop of Ekiti, Rt Rev Michael Olatuji Fagun (on left) and Bishop Badejo of Oyo diocese (centre).
It was during Bishop Field’s time that Ekiti became a separate diocese in July 1972. I was fortunate to be there at that time and to be part of the new diocese under Bishop Michael Olatunji Fagun. I was in the Cathedral parish in Ado-Ekiti and, since Bishop Fagun had no bishop’s house, we lived together in the Mission House for 3 years. I found it an enriching experience living and working with Bishop Fagun and learned a lot from him. While I was there for the Centenary celebrations we reminisced about the beginnings of the diocese just over 40 years ago. Some facts may highlight the growth since then.
| In 1972 | In 2013 |
| 7 parishes | 65 parishes |
| 3 Nigerian diocesan priests | 99 Nigerian diocesan priests & 10 Religious priests |
| 9 SMA priests | No SMA priests |
| 12 Irish St Louis Sisters | No Irish St Louis Sisters |
| No Nigerian-born Sisters | 100+ Nigerian born Sisters from the diocese in several Congregations |
| 4 Convents | 15 Convents |
Many new churches have been built and old ones replaced by larger ones. Places that were small outstations are now parishes with resident priests. The people are very generous and are supporting all those priests and parishes so the growth is sustainable.
The growth in the number of parishes and churches indicates the increase in the number of faithful filling those churches every Sunday. Bishop Fagun told me that the Cathedral parish where I and others worked in the 1970s has grown and been divided so often that it is now 16 parishes, served by 22 priests. In Ado-Ekiti town alone there are 8 parishes.
Ekiti is typical
I think that story of the growth and development of the Faith in Ekiti is typical of most parts of Nigeria and indeed of Africa. The church in Ekiti is vibrant, strong, full of life and energy and still growing and developing. It should be able to deal with the issues and challenges it will face in the next 100 years.
As I looked at the smiling, joyful faces of the people in the cathedral in Ado-Ekiti as we came towards the end of a 4 hour ceremony I thought we in the SMA can learn something from them. They came to give thanks to God for the growth of the Faith among them over the last 100 years and to rejoice in His blessings. As we look back I think we too can and should have a great sense of gratitude, joy and satisfaction at the way in which God has blessed the work of our missionaries. We are blessed to have reached the harvest time and see the fruits being gathered therefrom. In the Gospel of the Mass that day we heard Christ tell his disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and never saw it; to hear what you hear and never heard it.” I was privileged to be in Ekiti representing the SMA to see and hear that wonderful things God has done there in the last 100 years.
Thanks
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to represent the Irish Province at the celebrations. I am very grateful to Bishop Ajakaye, Bishop Fagun, the priests and people of Ekiti for the really warm welcome I received. I also want to express my thanks to SMA colleagues, Fathers Edward Muge and Tim Cullinane and the staff and students of the SMA Formation House, Ibadan for their hospitality and kindness.
[Editor’s note: Fr Corrigan humbly forgets to say that he was the man who, over several years, saw the acquisition of the site and built the Formation House in Ibadan].
The growth and development there is different but compares well with what I saw in Ekiti and gives us reason to be grateful for the past and to face the future with hope.
From the start of our stay we were straight into work, which we began in 
getting to know them and this was something the group really enjoyed. It was hard to imagine that these young boys, not much younger than us, had suffered so much in their lives. The youngest in the Shelter was only eight years old. FSC also have a girls shelter which takes in young girls from the streets.
Liam was the eldest of six children: Martin, Maureen Prisciak (Canada), Seán (died 1980), Sr Breda (Mercy Congregation) and Tommy. He attended The Rower National School and did his secondary studies (1941-1946) at the Good Counsel College, New Ross.
Fr Liam was deeply committed to community development. In 1958 he attended an international conference at the University of Ghana (Legon) on this matter which brought together many stakeholders, including the UN and other international agencies. He returned to Kaduna energised to do all he could to facilitate community development. His administrative skills were a great help to him in this. In 1965 he wrote a long letter to Fr Creaven, Irish Provincial Superior entitled ‘The Catholic Church and community development in northern Nigeria’. He wrote that his work was “aimed at stimulating village people towards self-help in raising their standard of living.”
bility in the projects in which they are involved. Facing into the future, conscious of the changing SMA and FOA realities in Ireland and Africa, it is important that there are clear agreements between all parties so that the work undertaken achieves the best possible result.
long-termer Anita McWilliams. And even though not listed here they each made a particular contribution to the FOA project in Zambia.
The first group went to Zambia in 2001. Six years later STVs headed for South Africa and in 2008 Tanzania received their first group. Up to now 212 short-term volunteers have served in Africa. Many of the early STVs were in third-level education. But responding to a demand to facilitate second-level students FOA began a programme for school groups. This began in 2010 and the FOA now has formal links with four schools – Holy Trinity (Cookstown), St Pat’s (Armagh and Dungannon) and Sacred Heart, Newry.
Anita McWilliams has been in Zambia since November 2012 and is involved with the 
The Society of Apostolic Work was founded in 1923 by Agnes McAuley and a small band of young women who gathered in Belfast with the purpose of helping missionaries in whatever way they could – by prayer and material assistance. They began by providing Mass vestments and other things needed by the missionaries. But quite quickly they began raising funds to send to the missionaries so that they could use it to fund their work, as most of them were working with the very poor, in Africa, Asia and South America.
Province. Nearly 200 Apostolic members came from Armagh, Down & Connor and Kilmore to celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass and have a meal afterwards. 
The theme for Mrs O’Loan was the ‘Relevance of Apostolic Work in the developing world today’. Mrs O’Loan spoke of the different facets of her work and especially of her work in Africa which she has visited several times to share her experience of being Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland. In Timor Leste as well as in Sierra Leone and other African countries she met missionaries who were making good use of the materials sent to them from Apostolic branches in Ireland. Throughout her presentation it was obvious that all she does is suffused with a deep faith and commitment to the social teachings of the Church.
In the afternoon, Bishop Kieran O’Reilly (pictured) spoke on the theme: Mission going forward with reference to Church teaching. He began his address to the Congress by reminding us that part of the Irish identity as missionaries includes non-Roman Catholic missionaries. “We were not the only ones who went from here with the sense of the gift of faith which we as a people had received.”
wrote about Climate Change and its implications for Africa. It is also an issue that has a direct bearing on refugees and asylum seekers as it will be major cause of migration.
As time went by SCCRR’s remit broadened to include the eight country regional development organisation known as IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development). This region is an area characterized by long-standing episodes of violent conflict between members of different ethnic communities. As time went by SCCRR’s remit broadened to include the eight country regional development organisation known as IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development). This region is an area characterized by long-standing episodes of violent conflict between members of different ethnic communities.
Training Workshop 1: Listens to the people’s own experience of conflict and then looks at different models for understanding conflict and how to manage it. The workshop then moves to conflict transformation explaining the need for personal, relational, structural and cultural transformation as well as the processes of reconciliation in divided societies.
CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS
Fr Dominic Maria Anthuvan was born in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India in September 1980, the 2nd of three children. Even though India still has a great need for priests, Fr Dominic wanted to be a missionary because he was moved by what he knew of the SMA and he always wanted to become one. A cousin, Fr Francis Rozario, was already an SMA priest and this too had its influence on him (Fr Rozario is now a member of the SMA General Council in Rome). For the young Dominic, Africa has a greater need of missionaries and it was a matter of “it’s now or never.”
He joined the SMA in 1998 doing his Philosophy studies in India, followed by an International Spiritual Year programme in the Philippines. He became an SMA member in June 1998 and was then sent to Nigeria for his pastoral training. Fr Dominic completed his theological studies in Nairobi, Kenya. He was ordained a priest on 8 August 2009, one of 5 Indian SMA priests ordained that year. 
The OLA Sisters (Our Lady of Apostles) have a large number of Egyptian Sisters, working in several schools and clinics throughout the country as well as in Lebanon and countries south of the Sahara.
Four Irish SMA priests are buried there, the first of them – Fr Michael O’Carroll from Hospital, Co Limerick – died at the age of 29 years in 1881. 
Each year, the Vatican issues a message to Muslims, to mark the end of Ramadan. This year Pope Francis has personally signed it himself “as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.” In his message Pope Francis called for more education to promote mutual respect between Islam and Christianity.
The first nine months was a period of evangelizing the community leaders into what all this would entail. It was a period of visible growth and commitment to the mission of Jesus Christ. Over a period of time, Small Christian Communities were established throughout the area. These lay leaders, women and men, identified different problems within the community. Some of them seemed to be insurmountable. However, rather than lie down in the face of such challenges, the community decided that the first step should be to establish a pre-Nursery school for 4 – 6 years old children. Our children are our hope for the future.
As we celebrate the opening of our Church we equally rejoice in the ordination of two priests who will also be missionaries – African Missionaries, members of the Society of African Missions – who will leave our country to announce to other communities the Good News of Jesus Christ. In turn they will, like Fr Gormely in Mulenga, walk with similar communities in identifying their needs and then planning how to meet them.
Fr Malachy was a valued collaborator with Bishop Tim Carroll SMA until he was asked to return to Ireland in 2006 and work in the office of the Provincial Bursar. He succeeded Fr Jarlath Walsh as Provincial Bursar in September 2007 and held that position until his election as Irish Vice Provincial Leader in 2013. On 10 July 2019, Fr Malachy was elected to the position of Provincial Leader, succeeding Fr Michael McCabe who had completed his six-year term.
Each of us, in our own way, has a part to play in bringing about a just society in which we can, faithful to our beliefs, live as good neighbours with people of other religions. This is part of the mission we as Christians are called to. In response to this, Cois Tine set up by the SMA to provide pastoral support to immigrants, is running a project to promote Dialogue between Muslims and Christians in Ireland. 
With soaring temperatures in Dromantine there’s lots of opportunities to relax, read a paper, go for a walk… even read about Cork’s defeat by Kerry in the Munster Senior Football Championship 
The new Provincial Leader, Fr Michael McCabe, took over from Fr John Dunne as Assembly President. The animator for the Assembly is Mr Gay Redmond who can be seen here listening to a point from Fr Vincent Brennan.
Our reading from the Book of Genesis (read by Denis Collins, pictured left) speaks of the call and journey of Abraham to a distant land. He accepted the challenge and set out, with whatever he had accumulated over the years to find the fulfilment of a dream. I like to think that it was like that for the 1963 class as they gathered together all their notes on epistemology, dogmatic theology and, of course, the vademecum of every missionary: De Reaper. That book, it was said, contained all a missionary needed to know.
One member of this class had to lie on the floor of his Mission House for hours as the bullets whizzed above his head, hitting the walls and scattering chunks of plaster around the room.
So how does this grace take over our lives? I believe we find the answer in the second and third readings which focus our attention on the Eucharist. The Eucharist is absolutely central to priestly life. St Paul celebrates the Eucharist in the second reading and, in one sense, St John in the Gospel reading shows us the Eucharist in action.
During all these changes the central role of the Eucharist never altered. The Eucharist was the one constant in their lives and through their Eucharistic prayer they reached calmer waters.
When Fr. John Dunne asked me to give the homily at the Silver Jubilee Mass this year, I was at first hesitant because I tend to shy away from formal occasions. But as time went on I began to see it as an opportunity not just to reflect on the meaning of the Silver Jubilee for the seven men involved, but also an opportunity for myself to reflect on mission and priesthood.
Fr Peter Thompson read from the prophet Isaiah.
St Paul in the Romans 12:4-8, which Fr Mark Monaghan (pictured) just read, says, “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well”. Paul is stating what most of us would see as an obvious fact: that we are all gifted in different ways. Among you, the 1988 class, these gifts are many and varied. 
25 years ago brings us back to 1988. A special year in the life of our jubilarians – the year of their ordination. Let us jog our memories to a few events that took place that year – to put things in context. It was the year Ireland beat England 1-0 in the European Cup. It was the year Dublin celebrated its official 1,000 birthday and in that same year, Nelson Mandela was awarded the freedom of the city of Dublin.
We have often heard it said and we have first hand experience that while on mission, we receive more than what we give. The poor which we work with actually evangelise us.
One time I remember visiting a bush village in Africa. It was a very poor area. It was the dry season so there was little water around. The farmers were waiting for the arrival of the rains to plant their seeds. The previous farming season had been a poor one because of the small amount of rain that fell. The amount of grain still left wasn’t much so they could only eat once daily. On the day I was there a son of one of the farmer’s arrived from the city far away where he worked and he brought with him some sacks of grain. His family was delighted. What really touched me was that the father immediately called all the other families together and he sat down and divided all the contents of the three sacks of grain equally among all of them. He did not keep them for his own family only. He shared because he cared.
The SMA regrets to announce the death of Fr Donal Michael O’Connor which took place at the St Theresa’s Nursing Unit at the SMA House on Blackrock Road, Cork. Fr Donie, as he was known among his confreres, who died at 5.40pm on Friday, 31 May 2013, had been battling cancer for some time.
We are happy to publish more photos from the 2013 Annual SMA / OLA Pilgrimage to Knock which took place on Saturday, 25 May 2013.
After the prayers of invocation etc the priests moved through the congregation anointing those who sought the sacrament.
Fr Reginald Nwachukwu SMA (from Nigeria) and Bishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA of Killaloe anoint some of the pilgrims.
OLA Sisters Eileen Cummins and Martha Ahern were among the pilgrims.
The Irish branch of the SMA was founded in Cork so it was to be expected that many of our pilgrims would come from the Rebel County! Mrs Judy O’Leary (on left) came from Cork City with her two sisters, Frances and Nuala.
and SMA priests accompanied the pilgrims on several of the buses, coming from Cork and Dromantine particularly.
Members of the FVC and other SMA supporters participated in the Mass and the earlier Pilgrimage ceremonies (Rosary Procession, Stations of the Cross and Benediction).
The OLA Sisters were also involved in the Pilgrimage, with Sisters from their different communities in Ireland as well as Sisters home on holidays or visiting from Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. Sr Patricia McMenamin and Sr Theresa Kusi (from Ghana) carried their banner in the Rosary procession.
I 
The funeral Mass for Fr Michael Darcy SMA took place in St Mary’s Catholic Church, Swanlinbar, Co Cavan at 11am on Monday, 13 May 2013. 
Fr Hugh McLaughlin died peacefully at the Cork University Hospital on 13 May 2013, after a brief illness. He had celebrated his 81st birthday just three days before his death. Fr Hugh had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening and died there early the following morning, at 00.15am, with his sister Mary and Fr Eddie O’Connor SMA at his side. He is survived by his sister Mary and brother Arthur. May his gentle soul rest in peace.
In 1979, his Silver Jubilee Year, as a result of his education work, he was conferred with a Chieftaincy title – Akuwajo of Akure – from the Deji (King) of Akureland, Oba Adelegan Adesina III. He was the first European to be conferred with an honorary chieftaincy in the history of Akure. At the conferring in the Oba’s Palace, His Highness spoke of Fr Hugh’s contribution to Akure over the past twenty-five years. On the occasion, Bishop Alonge paid tribute to Fr Hugh and all missionaries when he said: “Father McLaughlin is typical of many expatriate missionaries, both men and women, who have selflessly dedicated their entire lives to the establishment of the Christian Faith in this country through educational, medical and social institutions. We can never be sufficiently grateful to them.“
Fr Reginald Nwachukwu (Nigeria)
Fr Francis Barka-Nado
Fr Emmanuel Zinsu (Nigeria)
The Society of African Missions is mourning the death of Fr Michael Darcy on Friday, 10 May 2013, which took place at 2am in St Theresa’s Nursing unit in the African Missions, Blackrock Road, Cork. Fr Michael was 79 years old.
During his years in Jos, Fr Michael served in St Theresa’s (Jos), Shendam, Pankshin, Kwa and Bukuru. Fr Jeremiah O’Connell recalls that in 1966, just after the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War (when Biafra seceeded from the Federation), Michael saved dozens of Ibo parishioners from Bukuru. Many people were being attacked, from different ethnic groups, and Fr Michael used his car to bring many Ibos to the safety of the Police Headquarters in Jos Town. Despite several warnings that his life was in danger as he passed through different road blocks Michael brooked no opposition as he continued his trips in and out of Jos.
Delegates to the 20th SMA General Assembly, meeting in Rome, elected Fr Antonio Porcellato as Vicar General of the Society, to assist the recently-elected Superior General, Fr Fachtna O’Driscoll. They will serve for a six-year mandate, up to the 2019 SMA General Assembly
The 40 delegates attending the SMA General Assembly have elected the Leader
ship team who will guide the Society for the coming six years, up to the next General Assembly, scheduled for 2019. The 2013 Assembly is drawing to a close and is scheduled to conclude its work this week when delegates will vote on the Action Plan 2013-2019.
General Councillor – Fr Francois Gnonhossou, born in 1961, is originally from the Archdiocese of Cotonou, Benin Republic. He is a member of the Bight of Benin District-in-formation.
The family and many friends of the late Fr Billy O’Sullivan SMA gathered with his SMA confreres for his concelebrated Funeral Mass on Wednesday, 27 March at 2pm.
Republic of the Philippines
The principal celebrant of the Mass was the Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Dr Alfred Martins, assisted by Bishop Albert Fasina of Ijebu-Ode and up to eighty priests. Among the concelebrating priests were Monsignors Aniagwu, Okodua, Hoteyin, Ogunmodede, Boyo and, at the age of 102, Monsignor Pedro Martins. 
A very moving part of the ceremony was the offertory procession when a beautifully-sculpted image of Fr Francesco Borghero SMA ‘appeared’ in a boat holding an open bible in his hands, borne aloft by six SMA seminarians accompanied by a troupe of young Nigerians in traditional dress dancing their way to the altar to the thunderous applause of the congregation. As the boat came up the Church the commentator used the words of Pope-Emeritus Benedict in his last general audience and applied them to the continuing journey of the SMA and the Church in Lagos:
In his 45 minute homily, which deserves to be read in its entirety, Fr. Eddie Hartnett SMA gave an historical overview of the growth of the Church and the work of the SMA, not only in Lagos, but throughout Nigeria. Much to the delight of the congregation he moved effortlessly from English to Yoruba, to singing in Ogun and back again. It was a time for once, he said, to blow the SMA trumpet and he did it well but gently. An interesting point that he made was that before the SMA came on the scene there very many efforts to establish the Church which did not bear fruit as they were more or less freelance efforts. What made the SMA different was that they came with a mandate and set up structures leading to the first bishop in Lagos, Bishop Jean-Baptiste Chausse SMA in 1891 and the first Nigerian priest, Fr Paul Emechete in 1920.
Towards the end of the Mass Fr. Reginald Nwachukwu SMA, Superior of the Bight of Benin, announced that the Archbishop-emeritus of Lagos, His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie, had been admitted to Honorary membership in the SMA by the SMA Superior General and Council. Archbishop Martins accepted this honour on behalf of the Cardinal, who is in Rome for the Papal Conclave. Much to the delight of all present Archbishop Martins announced that henceforth the Cardinal will be addressed as His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie, SMA.
Little did the first SMA missionaries TO Africa (in the 1870’s) realise that a little over 100 years later the SMA would have missionaries FROM Africa going to all parts of the continent. Our map shows the three SMA African Districts-in-formation: Gulf of Guinea, Bight of Benin and Great Lakes.
erview is the second part of the stations “Le Cheile” Programme. To hear the interview click on the link below. The interview begins 27 minutes into the podcast – click the play button and then move the slider to about the middle of the time track 
Many years ago I knew a young married couple, very happily married. Then after 15 years of marriage the husband died suddenly. Sadly they had had no children. For the woman life all but ended with her husband’s unexpected death. She said to me once at that time that the sun would never shine again for her in her life. She didn’t see any point in living. She was totally devastated. This went on for about 4 years. Being the quiet retiring person she was, she had depended very much on her husband and after his death, she felt totally alone. Others helped her for awhile but then they had to look after their own families. With the help of a few close friends and her faith in God, she gradually started to live again. In fact, because her husband was no longer there to depend on, she had to develop talents she never knew she had. Bit by bit she grew in self-confidence and now this woman thinks nothing of travelling to the far end of the world alone where before she would hardly go a 100 kilometers. She had matured out of all recognition and the sun certainly shines again for her in her life. I know that it was her faith in God and the support of a few friends, which made all the difference. But it took time.
In this Mass we celebrate her life. We thank God that He has blessed her with a long life. The Bible says our length of days in 70 or 80 for those who are strong but Auntie Katie has gone far beyond this and was in her 97th year when she died. God has also blessed her with 4 children of her own, two adopted children and many grandchildren, living as she did to see her children’s children.
A Life Transformed 
tropics, so he spent a pleasant two and a half year spell as curate in Castlehaven parish in West Cork. Since 1987 he has been ministering at various tasks for the SMA community in Dromantine.
Martin, like all of us, will be saved through the mercy and compassion of God but his life response to the graces received was generous and sincere. 
A large gathering of family and friends from Co Wexford gathered with the Wilton SMA community to ‘pray Fr Martin home to God’ as the SMA Provincial Leader, Fr Fachtna O’Driscoll reminded us in his introduction to the Mass. The principal concelebrants were, from left: Fr Paddy O’Rourke (Co-Leader, SMA Dromantine), Fr Martin Costello (a classmate of Fr Martin), Fr O’Driscoll, Fr Tom Curran (SMA General Councillor in Rome) and Fr Robert Nolan (a cousin on Fr Martin and Parish Priest in Adamstown, Co Wexford).
Paul Fortune (pictured) read from the Book of Wisdom (3:1-6, 9) and Aileen Nolan read from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:28-30). The Gospel, from the 17th Chapter of St John, was read by the Dromantine Co-Leader, Fr John Denvir.
After his ordination, Martin was appointed to Northern Nigeria and soon found himself on the staff of St. Murumba’s College in Jos. Later on he taught in the minor seminary in the Diocese of Jos and also in the teacher training college at Kafanchan where he was much loved, respected and appreciated as an English teacher. Having spent another 12 years in the pastoral ministry in Jos, he worked in several parishes: Pankshin, Akwanga, Langtang and Shendam, names that regularly fell from his lips as he loved to recall various incidents of note that made a lasting impression in his life in Nigeria.
Our picture shows Fathers Frank Meehan, Martin Nolan and Leo Silke celebrating Mass in an outstation of Langtang.
I am very happy to be here this evening and to be part of this unique event. To the best of my knowledge this is the first time ever in Ireland that a resource which is the fruit of communication, cooperation and consultation between Muslims and Christians has been produced. 
cooperation on 16 January 2013. There was a capacity attendance at the launch, by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Emmet O’Halloran, in the City Council Chamber of the Cork City Hall.
Sheikh Umar Al-Qadri of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational Cultural Centre in Ireland, who was very involved in the preparation of A Journey Together told us that there are now more than 50,000 Muslims living in Ireland. An Islamic scholar, the Sheikh, pictured with Fr Angelo Lafferty SMA [Director of the SMA Justice Office], has lived in Ireland for the last 10 years. Paying tribute to this production of Cois Tine, the Sheikh said that many government bodies and local organisations, some of which he has been part of, acknowledge the need for inter-faith dialogue and religious pluralism but none of them has produced a resource like A Journey Together. “This is unique and I cannot tell you how important it is for me as an Imam because many times Christians come to the Mosque to know more about Islam. They don’t come to convert; they just want to know more about what is Islam.”
SCARBORO MISSIONS: A Canadian website that provides clear, well laid out principles and also some practical guidelines for interfaith dialogue.
GREETINGS: “As-Salamu Alaikum” (Peace be upon you) is the norm al greeting that Muslims use with each other. While a tiny minority reserve its use for Muslims only, the vast majority of Muslims are happy and will not be offended if a non-Muslim greets them in this way. The response to this greeting is “Wa-alaikum as-Salam” (And Peace be upon you too).
Speaking at a recent Muslim Christian Workshop in Limerick Sheikh Umar Al-Qadri quoted a saying (a Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), about God speaking to a person on the Day of Judgement. 
Jean-Marie Coquard was born in the Diocese of Nantes in France in 1859, spent some time in the merchant navy, tried unsuccessfully to join the Sacred Heart Missionaries of Betharram while living in Montevideo, Uruguay, was accepted by the SMA and entered the Seminary at Lyon in November, 1886. To the SMA authorities his suitability for priesthood was never in doubt and he was ordained a priest on 13th July, 1890, at the age of thirty-one. In the autumn of 1890 he set sail for West Africa, destined for the Vicariate of the Bight of Benin which had its headquarters in Lagos. He was to spend the forty-three remaining years of his life in West Africa, returning only twice to Europe, in 1897 when he was sent to Brazil via France to collect funds for the Vicariate’s seminary and, again, in 1907 when he took part in the SMA General Assembly in Lyon. 
Clergy, OLA Sisters and laity gather for the blessing at the Cross standing above Fr Coquard’s grave in Lantoro cemetery, alongside many other missionaries and catechists awaiting the Resurrection.
“It was founded in 1853 by John Francis Maguire to give assistance to victims of the great famine. Since then social conditions have improved but there are other problems. In 2012 so many people in our community can become marginalised due to unexpected circumstances. Families often find themselves under severe financial pressure due to 
unemployment, illness, bereavement and harmful addiction, separation, unequal access to opportunities and other forms of discrimination. The task of the Sick Poor Society is to reach out to such families who are in these difficult circumstances and to provide them with material and other assistance. This work is undertaken on a voluntary basis and all monies are used solely for the benefit of needy families” was how Kay Burke [pictured left] described the charity during the Service.
money but they desperately wanted to buy each other a Christmas present. As they were a very happy couple, they knew each other’s greatest wish – Della had beautiful long hair which reached below her knees and she longed to be able to buy tortoise shell jewelled combs to keep her hair in place. Jim had a gold watch which belonged to his father and grandfather but he had no gold chain from which to hang it. He had it on an old leather strap – he used to be so embarrassed if he was asked the time and had to pull his watch out of his pocket.
Concluding her reflection, Kay invited us to pray:
It is called this because of its location. It is one of the three new sections or divisions of our Society in Africa which, hopefully soon, will assume the status of a District when it has a sufficient membership and some degree of autonomy so that it can manage its own mission apostolate. Until then it is called a District-in-Formation. 
After ordination in 1957 Fr Mattie was appointed to Nigeria where he spent many years before his appointment as Assistant to Fr John J Dunne (RIP) in St Peter the Apostle Parish, Neilstown in the Archdiocese of Dublin.