Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande

né le 1er février 1891 à Hollymount dans l’archidiocèse de Tuam, Irlande membre de la SMA le 15 juillet 1923 prêtre le 16 juin 1927 évêque le 9 mai 1943 décédé le 17 avril 1957

1927-1933 missionnaire au vicariat du Bénin 1934-1943 préfet apostolique de Kaduna, Nigeria 1943-1950 vicaire apostolique de Ondo-Ilorin 1950-1957 1er évêque du diocèse de Ondo décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 17 avril 1957, à l’âge de 66 ans

Monseigneur Thomas P HUGHES (1891 - 1957)

A Cork, le 17 avril 1957, retour à Dieu de Son Excellence Monseigneur Thomas Hughes, évêque d'Ondo (Nigeria), à l'âge de 66 ans.

Né en 1891 à Hollymount, dans le diocèse de Tuam (Irlande), Thomas Hughes est une vocation tardive. Membre de la "Royal Irish Constabulary", c'est-à-dire gendarme, il conserva toute sa vie un esprit de discipline un peu rigoriste. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la Société et fut ordonné prêtre en 1927. Il partit tout de suite dans le vicariat de la Côte du Bénin, où Mgr Terrien le nomma préfet de discipline au collège Saint-Grégoire de Lagos. Il s'acquitta de sa charge avec fermeté. Il fut ensuite supérieur de Lagos, puis de Ijebu-Ode et visiteur de la mission en 1932.

Actif et très intelligent, le père Hughes était un grand observateur des hommes et des choses. Personne ne fut étonné de sa nomination comme préfet apostolique de la Nigeria Septentrionale, le 12 janvier 1934. Trois mois plus tard, cette préfecture était divisée en deux: Kaduna et Jos. Mgr Hughes à Kaduna n'avait plus que 4 stations; il en fonda 4 autres.

Le 12 janvier 1943, Mgr Hughes était élu évêque titulaire de Nepte et vicaire apostolique d'Ondo-Ilorin, nouvelle circonscription détachée de la Nigeria Occidentale et de la Côte du Bénin. Il y accomplit un magnifique travail. Il devint évêque au moment de l'érection de la hiérarchie en 1950. Le nombre des chrétiens du diocèse d'Ondo passe de 27.000 en 1950 à 43.000 en 1955. Très éprouvé dans sa santé par des attaques cardiaques, Mgr Hughes avait donné sa démission quand il mourut à Cork.

Bishop Thomas P. HUGHES (1891 - 1957)

Thomas Hughes was born in Hollymount, Co Mayo, in the archdiocese of Tuam, on l February 189l. He died at the Mercy home, Cork, on l7 April 1957.

Thomas was a 'late vocation' to the Society, coming when he was 31 years old. He studied at Ballinrobe C.B.S. between 1906 1910, after which he became a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary. He left the force in circumstances which are well known and have been the subject of a book and several articles. He was one of the constables who took part in the famous 'Listowel mutiny' of 1920, when a group of policemen, led by Constable Mee, refused to obey the order to shoot on sight during the war of independence. When the order was given Thomas was one of those who went into the day room, removed their belts and threw them on the table.

On coming to the Society he studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1920 192l) before joining the novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway (1921 23). Thomas was admitted to permanent membership of the Society on 15 July 1923. He spent three years at St. Joseph's theological seminary, Blackrock Road, Cork (1923 1926), and completed his theological formation at Dromantine, Co Down, to where the seminary was transferred in September 1926. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 16 June 1927. He was one of a group of eleven ordained on that day.

After ordination Thomas was appointed to the vicariate of the Bight of Benin, a vast jurisdiction in south western Nigeria. On his arrival, in October 1927, Ferdinand Terrien, the vicar apostolic, appointed him to the founding staff of St. Gregory's college, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria's first Catholic secondary school, which opened its doors in January 1928. Fittingly, Leo Hale Taylor, founding principal of St. Gregory's, placed Thomas in charge of discipline. Thomas also looked after the school's finances. During the two years he spent at St. Gregory's he won a reputation for fair mindedness and firmness. In September 1929 Thomas became superior of Holy Cross mission, Lagos, serving there for a year. Between 1930 1933 he was superior of Ijebu Ode mission. Thomas impressed himself on his superiors and colleagues as a natural leader. This was formally recognised in 1932 when his Irish superiors appointed him 'visitor', or superior of his Irish confrères, responsible for their spiritual and temporal welfare.

On 12 January 1934 Thomas was nominated prefect apostolic of the prefecture of Northern Nigeria. This vast jurisdiction covered an area of over l00,000 square miles between the Sahara and the Niger. Three months after his appointment this territory was divided into the prefectures of Kaduna and Jos, and Thomas was assigned to the former jurisdiction. The Kaduna prefecture at that time had a mere four residential stations, but within as many years Thomas had founded four more. Thomas' first act on arriving in Kaduna was to tour his territory and to talk with the missionaries, especially Alphonse Schahl, who had been 'visitor' there for several years. Later he met his predecessor, William Porter, who had just been appointed vicar apostolic and bishop in the Gold Coast (Ghana). Thomas was a man of action and he immediately formulated a plan for the development of his prefecture. He requested Archbishop Arthur Hinsley, the apostolic delegate, to secure an increase in the annual subsidy given by Propaganda Fide. He also sought a special grant for the construction of a convent at Kaduna. He sent John (Jack) McCarthy (who was to succeed him) to collect funds in America. Also, aware that in the past the Church in the north was largely formed of Igbo immigrants who had come northwards with the railway, he vigorously sought an increase in staff from the Society, in order to begin evangelisation of the indigenous Animist population. Within a year of taking up office he reported to Propaganda Fide that a new Father's residence had been built at Zaria, that newly arrived Fathers had been given the opportunity to study Hausa (essential for the evangelisation of the indigenous population) and that a new mission residence had been constructed at Argungu in Sokoto Province. Four years later he was able to report the opening of new stations at Masuga and Gawun, the construction of a large 'convent girls school' at Kaduna, the commencement of collections to build new churches in Kano and Zaria, and a vast increase in the number of schools throughout the prefecture.

On 12 January 1943 Thomas was appointed vicar apostolic of Ondo Ilorin with the title bishop of Nepte. This was a new jurisdiction formed from territory carved from the old vicariates of Western Nigeria and Benin. His ordination as bishop took place at Holy Cross, Lagos, on 9 May 1943. The ordaining prelate was Leo Hale Taylor, vicar apostolic of Lagos. When the Nigerian hierarchy was formally erected in 1950 Thomas became the first bishop of Ondo diocese. In his second report to Propaganda Fide (1945) Thomas wrote: 'The demand for education has never been so keen, with the result that we have been kept busy in providing new schools and in enlarging existing schools. The number of pupils has doubled in the last two years. We have succeeded in building the greater part of our elementary teacher training college at Akure and the first class for training was taken in January 1945'.

Thomas remained in charge of Ondo diocese until the time of his death. He will be long remembered as a builder. When prefect apostolic at Kaduna he designed and built what now takes its place as the cathedral of St. Joseph (Kaduna city). In Ondo he built the bishop's house, four colleges (St. Thomas Aquinas secondary college, Akure; St. Peter's higher elementary teacher training college, St. Augustine's elementary teacher training college; Women's teacher training college, Owo), two convents, several mission houses, a hospital at Owo and a large number of schools. Not only did he personally design these buildings but in most cases he supervised the actual construction, doing all the more expert work and a considerable amount of the heavy work with his own hands. He had very good ability as an organiser. When the building 'boom' was underway in Ondo he set up a sort of 'factory' (under Brother Tom Fitzgerald) to make all the doors and windows in one place, bringing out machinery from Europe for the purpose.

Thomas had a great interest in sport and, while busy with the affairs of his diocese, kept up to date on the All Ireland championships, and especially the fortunes of Mayo. A sociable man, he liked to see visitors arriving in Akure, his headquarters, especially if they could play 'solo'. He was a very good player, having learned perhaps in the police stations of the R.I.C. Thomas began to experience cardiac problems from 1955 and was frequently hospitalised. He had already submitted his resignation from Ondo when he died in Cork. Today the original Ondo Ilorin jurisdiction has been divided into the dioceses of Ondo, Ilorin and Ekiti, and the prefecture of Kontagora. The bishop of Ondo since 1976 has been a Nigerian, Francis Folorunso Alonge. Thomas had a brother in the Society, Paddy Hughes, ordained in 1929.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.