Société des Missions Africaines – Province d'Irlande

né le 1er juillet 1897 à Drumming dans le diocèse d’Ardagh membre de la SMA le 16 juillet 1921 prêtre le 23 mai 1926 décédé le 16 juillet 1959

1926-1929 Witsoncourt, Pays de Galles, professeur 1929-1930 Hastings, professeur 1930-1959 missionnaire au Nigeria, diocèse de Benin City 1942-1948, supérieur régional 1956-1957 vicaire général décédé à Asaba, Nigeria, le 16 juillet 1959, à l’âge de 62 ans

A Asaba (Nigeria), le 16 juillet 1959, retour à Dieu du père William Keenan, à l'âge de 62 ans.

William Keenan était né dans le diocèse d'Ardagh (Irlande) en 1897. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la Société en Irlande. Il fit le serment en 1921 et fut ordonné prêtre en 1926. Le père Keenan fut nommé en Angleterre, où la Société lançait ses premières maisons. Il enseigna à Witson-Court et Hastings de 1926 à 1930.

En 1930, le père Keenan part pour le Nigeria. Il va travailler presque 30 ans dans la région qui constitue aujourd'hui le diocèse de Benin-City. Il en sera le visiteur (supérieur régional) de 1942 à 1948, vicaire général, et plusieurs confrères le délégueront aux assemblées.

Missionnaire zélé et consciencieux, scrupuleux même pour le devoir, le père Keenan était plutôt d'un caractère doux et timide. Il avait un cœur généreux et bon.

Les districts d'Okeni, Agbor, Warri et Agenebode-Uzairus, où le père Keenan a œuvré, lui doivent beaucoup.

Father William Joseph KEENAN (1897 - 1959)

William Keenan was born at Drumming, Leenamore, Co Longford, in the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, on l July 1897. He died in Asaba, western Nigeria, on 16 July 1959.

William (Willie) was educated in the colleges of the Society in Ireland. He studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1915 1916) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1916 1919) before entering the novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in 1919. He studied theology at St. Joseph's seminary, Blackrock Road, Cork (1921 1926). William was received as a member of the Society on 16 July 1921. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Broderick, vicar apostolic of Western Nigeria, in St. Joseph's church, adjoining the seminary, on 23 May 1926. He was one of a group of ten ordained on that day.

After ordination William was assigned to Wales where he taught in the Society's minor seminary at Whitson Court, Newport. This school had been founded by Jean-Marie Chabert, the Superior General, in 1923, with a view to extending the Society to Britain. It began with seven students; later the number increased to thirty. Of the number that passed through Whitson Court, ten were ordained priests in the S.M.A. In 1928 Whitson Court was closed and the remaining students were transferred to the care of the Dutch Province which opened a minor and major seminary at Ore Place, Hastings, in the south of England. William taught both in Newport and in Hastings, working with a staff of mainly French and Dutch members and one Irish priest (James McNicholas) until 1930. In that year he was appointed to the vicariate of Western Nigeria.

The vicariate of Western Nigeria was the first mission in Nigeria confided to the Irish Province, in 1918, when Thomas Broderick was appointed vicar apostolic. On his arrival William was appointed to Asaba, the headquarters of the vicariate, where Eugene Strub (an Alsatian member, who was also pro-vicar) was superior. The 'assistant priest' was Paul Emecete, Nigeria's first indigenous priest, ordained by Bishop Broderick in 1920. Founded in 1888, Asaba was a busy mission, with a catholic community of almost 3,000 members and 300 catechumens, and numerous outstations. William had come to Nigeria with a reputation as a good administrator and in Asaba he was placed in charge of the vicariate's financial administration. After a year and a half he was re-assigned to Benin City mission, which had only recently become a residential station (1928), and which from 1938 was to be the headquarters of the jurisdiction. When William came to Benin City there was a catholic community of scarcely 300 members, but there were over 900 catechumens, which augured well for the future.

After a brief placement in Warri district, William spent the last year of his first tour of duty in Okene district. William went to Ireland on his first home leave in August 1934. He returned to Nigeria a year later, resuming his duties as superior of Okene district. William was to spend his entire second tour of duty (1935-1940) in this station. When he arrived, the number of catholic members was under 100. When he returned to Ireland in 1940 there were over 1,000 catholic members and almost as many catechumens. Most of the increase came in the many outstations attached to Okene station, several of which William had founded.

William made his way back to Nigeria by sea convoy in October 1941, returning to Okene for a further eighteen months. He had impressed his superiors with his level-headed approach to difficult situations, his good rapport with his colleagues, his ability as an administrator and his leadership qualities. In 1941 he was appointed to the 'visitor's council. The 'visitor' at that time (responsible to the Provincial for the welfare of the confreres) was Thomas Sexton Cahill. When Fr. Cahill died tragically in September 1942 of yellow fever - aged only thirty-six years - William was appointed to succeed him. William was to remain as 'visitor' until 1948, residing in Benin City, Ogwashi-Uku, Sapele, Ibusa and Agbor. In 1946 he attended the Irish Provincial Assembly as delegate of his confreres in western Nigeria. A year later he was a delegate at the General Assembly.

When in 1948-49 the post of 'visitor' was replaced by that of 'regional superior' (the R.S. had wider responsibilities than the 'visitor', having charge of members from several jurisdictions), William was appointed superior of Warri district. Warri mission had been founded in 1917 under the patronage of the Sacred Heart. The district covered a vast area of creeks, swamps and islands in the Niger delta. In 1950 William saw the jurisdiction erected as 'the diocese of Benin City', under the leadership of one of its longest-serving missionaries, Patrick J. Kelly. Warri was to remain part of Benin City diocese until 1964 when it became a diocese in its own right. During William's years in Warri he was assisted by James O'Driscoll, John Browne and a Nigerian priest, Stephen Umurie.

When William returned from home leave in February 1953, Bishop Kelly posted him as chaplain to the Ossiomo leper settlement. Nine months later he became parish priest at Uzairue. In April 1956 William was appointed vicar general of the diocese, exercising episcopal functions in the absence of the bishop. He resided in Benin City (the seat of the diocese), where he lived with the bishop and administered the cathedral. In March 1957 William relinquished his post as vicar general and went to Asaba mission where he worked with Jim Flanagan. During his lengthy missionary career, William had been the first missionary to visit many places and the first resident priest in many other districts that have flourishing Christian communities today. In particular, the districts of Okeni, Agbor, Warri and Agenebode Uzairue owe much to his labours.

Throughout his life William's health had never been robust. His frame had been always thin and frail, yet at the time of his death he was 60 years old and had spent almost 30 years in West Africa. Setting out for Nigeria for the seventh (and the last) time two years before his death he spoke of it as 'going home'. On the day William died he said Mass as usual and went about his ordinary duties, visiting the schools after breakfast. When he returned to the mission he complained of feeling unwell and within half an hour he died. His death took place at about 10.30. While he was in pain his cook and the oldest Christian woman in Asaba went in to 'salute' him and knelt to say a prayer for him. He raised his hand and blessed them. They went out and closed the door 'to let him rest'.

He is buried in Asaba, Nigeria.