Société des Missions Africaines – Province d'Irlande

né le 7 avril 1917 dans le diocèse de Dublin, Irlande membre de la SMA le 29 juin 1937 prêtre le 22 décembre 1940 décédé le 13 janvier 2007  Père David Hughes

1942-1958 missionnaire en Egypte, collège Saint-Georges 1958-1977 missionnaire au Nigeria, archidiocèse de Kaduna 1977-1988 diocèse d'Aberdeen, Ecosse 1988-1993 diocèse de Nottingham, Angleterre 1993-1997 Dromantine, retiré 1997-2006 Wilton, retiré 2006-2007 Blackrock Road, Cork, retiré décédé à Blackrock Road, Cork, le 13 janvier 2007 à l’âge de 89 ans

David Henry Hughes was born in the parish of Cullenswood and Milltown, Dublin, in the Archdiocese of Dublin, on 7th April 1917.
He died in St. Theresa’s Nursing Unit, at the SMA House, Blackrock Road, Cork, on 13th January 2007.

David was born into a family of three girls and two boys at 17 Lr. Cherryfield Avenue, Sandford Road, Dublin. His parents were Marie (nee Mitchel) who died in 1957, and David Henry Hughes who died in 1952. David had two aunts with the Presentation sisters in Manchester (Mother Gertrude and Mother Joseph) while his sister, Monica, followed their example taking the name Sr. Ignatius. David commenced his education with the Irish Sisters of Charity at Milltown and then, at the age of seven, moved to the Christian Brothers at Synge Street. It was here that he received his secondary education between 1930-1935. In 1934 David became interested in a missionary vocation with the Society of African Missions having read a Catholic Truth Society pamphlet. In 1934, on the advice of Fr. MacCartin O.S.F.C. (Church Street, Dublin) his mother corresponded with William Butler, the SMA Vice-Provincial at Cork, informing him of her son’s interest. Fr. Butler encouraged David to complete his secondary education in Dublin, which he did, matriculating in 1935. In the autumn of that year David commenced his philosophy course and novitiate at the SMA house, Kilcolgan, Co Galway. In 1937 he was promoted to the Society’s major seminary at Dromantine, Newry, Co Down. David was first received as a member of the Society on 29th June 1937. He became a permanent member on 15th June 1948. He was ordained a priest in St. Colman’s Cathedral, Newry, by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, on 22nd December 1940. He was one of a group of nineteen ordained on that occasion.

After ordination David returned to Dromantine to complete his theological course. He was then appointed, along with his classmate Frank Doyle, to Egypt. The SMA’s Egyptian mission had been founded in 1877, with its seat at Heliopolis, east of Cairo. Before the foundation of the Irish Province in 1912, Irish students for the SMA had often studied in Egypt where the Society maintained a secondary school with a seminary tier. Many of them taught English in the school during their seminary training and even after ordination. In 1936, anxious to find work for missionaries in poor health, the Irish Province accepted responsibility for staffing 'English language' secondary colleges in the Nile Delta vicariate. The Irish connection with education in Egypt, therefore, had a long and distinguished history when David was appointed there. Not all who were sent there were unfit for the rigours of West Africa. The requirements of staff had to be met and several confreres, including David, who were later to minister for many years in the tropics, spent time in Egypt. David’s departure was delayed by the war but, eventually, in January 1942, he managed to obtain a sea passage on a convoy which set out from the port of Leven in the Firth of Forth. David sailed on the ‘Boringia’, a Dutch ship of the East Asiatic line. After an eventful voyage, but unscathed, he came ashore on 1st April and after a train journey arrived at St. George’s College, Choubrah.

David was to serve on the staff of St. George’s College for three years. Next he was assigned to St. Austin’s College, Heliopolis, for two years, returning to St. George’s in October 1948 where he was to serve as superior between 1949-1952. St. George’s was known as 'the Anglo-Copt college' because tuition was through the medium of English and most of the students were Europeans or oriental Christians - Copts. David was selected by his confreres to represent them at the Irish Provincial Assembly of 1952. After the Assembly he returned to St. George’s, again as superior, until 1958. David enjoyed his seventeen years in Egypt although, at the end, he began to find superiorship of a large college stressful and sought a transfer to West Africa. Later, reflecting on his time in Egypt, he recalled the great diversity of rites, the magnificence of their liturgies, and the beauty of the icons and ecclesiastical furnishings. Visits to the Coptic monasteries in the desert and to the Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai were particular highlights.

In an article published in the African Missionary in 1948 David commented that in terms of culture ‘Egypt is a mixture of the East and West. There is very little of the African about it, due to the waterless arid desert stretching all around it and separating it from the rest of Africa’. Already he was curious about ‘the rest of Africa’, and it was not surprising that, given this interest and a certain weariness of college principalship in a difficult setting, in 1958 he should ask to go to West Africa. His request was acceded to and he was appointed to the Archdiocese of Kaduna. With a certain inevitability, given his experience and the increasing importance of the education apostolate in Nigera, he was assigned to a number of teaching positions. He served on the staff of St. John’s College, Kaduna, and at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary at Zaria where he was superior. Finally, in the late 1960’s, after over twenty-five years in the education apostolate, David moved out from the classroom into various parishes in the archdiocese, particularly relishing pastoral work in the remote bush areas. Among those parishes which benefited from his pastoral care were Our Lady of Fatima, Kano, Mabushi and Kaduna town itself. David was to serve in northern Nigeria until 1977, completing his missionary service at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Kano.

In 1978, after a year’s well-earned sabbatical leave, David took up a posting in the diocese of Aberdeen, ministering in the Highlands of Scotland, not far from Inverness, where he served two churches, Beauly and Eskadale. David greatly enjoyed ministering to these isolated Highland communities. He also enjoyed the many opportunities for indulging his great love of walking. However, in 1988 ill-health intervened in the form of a heart attack. After making a good recovery he next took on a chaplaincy to a group of elderly nuns - the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace - at Cleethorpes, in the lowlands of Nottingham. In 1993, after five years in this ministry, his health deteriorated and David moved into retirement. First of all he spent four happy years in Dromantine and this was followed by almost a decade in Wilton, finally joining the community at Blackrock Road just about three months before his death.

David was renowned in the Society for his hospitality and kindness to visitors, especially his own confreres. Easy to relate to, he was a well-organised man, a good teacher, efficient and able whatever the task presented to him. Token of the esteem in which he was held by his confreres was his election, on three occasions as delegate to Society Provincial Assemblies (1952, 1968, 1973).

He is buried in Wilton Cemetery.