Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande

né le 16 juillet 1905 à Innishannon dans le diocèse de Cork, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1930 prêtre le 10 juin 1934 décédé le 3 juillet 1938

1934-1938 missionnaire au Liberia décédé à Sasstown, Liberia, le 3 juillet 1938, à l’âge de 33 ans

A Sasstown (Liberia), le 3 juillet 1938, retour à Dieu du père Matthew Mac Donnell, à l'âge de 33 ans.

Matthew Mac Donnell naquit à Innishannon, dans le diocèse de Cork, en 1905. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la province d'Irlande. Il fit le serment en 1930 et fut ordonné prêtre en 1934. Le père Mac Donnell partit pour le vicariat du Liberia. Les quatre années qu'il y passa furent des années bien remplies et fécondes. La vive sympathie qu'il manifesta dans ses rencontres avec les gens simples qui lui étaient confiés lui obtint une place de choix dans leur cœur. Le désintéressement d'une vie qui était toute vouée à leurs intérêts fit que le père Mac Donnell fut très apprécié partout où il travailla.

Peu avant sa mort, le père Mac Donnell avait été chargé de Sasstown et de ses nombreuses stations secondaires, ce qui le mit en contact étroit avec une importante partie de la tribu "Krou". Entrant dans leur vie, rendant toute espèce de services à tous ceux qui réclamaient son aide, il était au milieu d'eux comme celui qui fait le bien. C'est ainsi que la mort l'a trouvé. Abattu par la fièvre, fortifié par les derniers sacrements, acceptant avec grand calme et parfaite résignation le sacrifice que Dieu lui demandait à l'âge de 33 ans, il rendit son âme à Dieu. Ses confrères furent étonnés de l'expression de joie qui rayonnait du visage du jeune père après sa mort.

On entendait souvent dire au père Mac Donnell qu'il ne croyait pas qu'une mission ne pût jamais être largement bénie de Dieu avant qu'elle n'ait donné un ou plusieurs martyrs. La mort prématurée de ce jeune père est le gage des bénédictions célestes sur Sasstown et le Liberia.

Father Matthew McDONNELL (1905 - 1938)

Matthew McDonnell was born in Innishannon, in the diocese of Cork (his home address at the time he joined the Society was 'San Remo', Alacoque Place, Western Road, Cork), on 16 July 1905. He died at Old Sasstown, Liberia, on 3 July 1938.

Matthew ('Mattie') was eighteen years old and already employed when he decided to devote his life to the foreign missions. Subsequently he was educated in the colleges of the Society in Ireland. He studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1923 1925), and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1925 1928), before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in 1928. He studied theology in the major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down, between 1930 1934. Mattie became a member of the Society on 2 July 1930 and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 10 June 1934. He was one of a group of seventeen to be ordained on that day.

After ordination Mattie was assigned to the vicariate of Liberia. This 'Black' republic, founded in the early 1820's by emancipated slaves from the U.S.A., had been the scene of the first modern mission to West Africa in 1842. Liberia had proved a difficult mission field. That first mission had failed after two years; two subsequent attempts to establish a missionary presence had foundered, respectively in 1888 and 1904. This, then, was the mission entrusted to the S.M.A. in 1906, and given to the Irish Province as its first mission in 1912. At the Mattie arrived, in October 1934, there were 16 confreres serving some 7,000 Catholics and endeavouring to spread the Church further afield. Mattie's first appointment, given to him by John Collins, the vicar apostolic, was to the district of Grand Cess, on the Kru Coast. This district had been opened in 1916 and had flourished in the intervening years. John Duffy was superior of the district which had four secondary stations (Kinekale, Topo, Filokli and Bielapo) and a catholic community of 1,700 members and 200 catechumens.

In March 1937 Mattie was transferred to the district of Sasstown. This district, which had been established in 1912, was the cradle of Catholicism in Liberia. In the early 1930's the district had gone into a decline, partly because of conflict between the Krus and the Americo-Liberian government. In its heyday the two principal stations were located in the towns of Old and New Sasstown, situated a kilometre apart, each containing 5,000 inhabitants, ruled by separate chiefs, and fiercely jealous of each other. In 1930 both stations were amalgamated and served from Old Sasstown. When Mattie came there, another former principal station, Betu, was included in the Sasstown district. Together with Jerry Higgins, Mattie set about ministering to these three large stations and the fifteen secondary stations. There was a catholic community of over 4,000 members and 2,000 catechumens, as well as seventeen elementary schools. When Jerry Higgins went on home leave in December 1937, Mattie was appointed superior, with Peter Rogers as his assistant.

Mattie was to spend four fruitful years working among the Krus before his untimely death from fever. A warm-hearted, good-humoured man, Mattie was much-loved by his fellow students in the seminary and by his confreres when he went to Africa. He was an excellent musician; music was almost his sole recreation. He had a profound knowledge of Gregorian chant and was an expert performer at the harmonium. He used these gifts to the full in the liturgy. The archives of the Irish Province at Blackrock Road some poignant letters from colleagues written after Mattie's death. One is an account of his death and the events leading up to it written by Peter Rogers. 'The week before he died, Mattie had recovered from a bout of fever and was as vigorous and assiduous in his work as ever I had seen him. We were in the midst of the repairs to the house and the planting of flowers in the garden, and in fixing up the mission grounds to prepare them for planting vegetables.

On Monday the 27th of June he commenced operations again on the house, fortifying the foundation with cement. On Tuesday he had completed the new foundation, and on that very night he went to bed with a slight cold. In the morning a high fever had developed. Later the fever abated and his temperature almost returned to normal. We both thought that this was going to be a repetition of his former attacks of fever during the month. All day Friday he poured perspiration which was a good sign. Saturday dawned and his temperature hovered was about 100 degrees and he was able to keep a little food down. Shortly after 2.30 a.m. on Sunday morning the mission boy called me in. Mattie was sitting up in his bed seemingly well, but he told me to sit down, and it was near this time that he told me to give him the Last Sacraments. He was undoubtedly very calm during the time I anointed him. I took his temperature and it was gradually going up...Shortly afterwards he died rather suddenly.

Mattie never feared death. At his last moments he was perfectly resigned, and contented to die. He was quite conscious up till a few moments after receiving Holy Viaticum. All day long the people came kneeling down beside his remains, laid out in priestly robes, praying for him. Fr. (John) Coleman arrived that night. All through the night till five o'clock on Monday morning the church was packed with mourners praying and singing hymns. At seven Fr. Coleman said Mass for the repose of his soul and many people received Holy Communion. At nine o'clock I myself had the solemn Requiem Mass, then the Absolution, and his body was interred beside the body of poor Fr. (William) Shine'.

John Coleman wrote the following lines: 'More than once in the past two years the late Fr. Matthew McDonnell was heard to say that he did not believe that any mission could ever be richly blessed by God until it had given one or more martyrs for the faith. I myself heard him say so. It was my sad duty to aid Fr. Rogers to lay poor Fr. McDonnell's remains to rest beside those of Fr. (William) Shine at Sasstown. I was greatly struck with the sublime look on the dead face. I believe that Fr. McDonnell offered the sacrifice of his life for his mission. May God give it the increase.' Peter Rogers added the following words: 'During the four years of Father McDonnell's missionary life here in Liberia he had certainly his share of trials and hardships. He told me one day that during his stay in Grand Cess for over a period of two years he had tramped to outstations at different times, distances which when added up totalled well over a thousand miles. Many more miles has he journeyed since he came up to Sasstown. He had his trials of sickness, malaria fever, every year without fail. These left their mark on him'.

He is buried in the mission compound at New Sasstown, Liberia.