Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande
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né le 19 octobre 1939 dans le diocèse de Dromore, Irlande membre de la SMA le 25 juin 1958 prêtre le 16 décembre 1964 décédé le 17 janvier 2006 |
1965-1968 missionnaire au Nigeria, diocèse de Ondo 1968-1969 Ballinafad, Irlande, collège du Sacré-Cœur décédé à Ndola, Zambie, le 17 janvier 2006 |
Father Fergus Richard CONLAN (1939 - 2006)
Fergus Conlan was born at Ardmain, Newry, Co Down, in the parish of Donaghmore, in the diocese of Dromore, on 19 October 1939.
He died in the SMA Regional House, Ndola, Zambia, on the morning of 17 January 2006.
Fergus Conlan was one of five children born to Peter and Mary (nee Judge) Conlan, who resided near Barr, Newry, Co Down. His father was a teacher. His only sister became a member of the Sisters of the Cross (Sister Ita) and worked in the Cameroon. He was predeceased by his brother Finbarr. His other brothers were Aidan and Kieran. Fergus received his primary schooling at Barr and his secondary education with the Christian Brothers in Newry. In 1957 he joined the Society and, after a ‘spiritual year’ at Kilcolgan, commenced studies for a degree at University College Cork, residing in the SMA House at Wilton. An excellent student, in 1961 he acquired an honours Science degree (Zoology was his principal subject with Bio-Chemistry as a subsidiary). Fergus was promoted to the Society’s major seminary, near his home, at Dromantine, Newry, Co Down, in the autumn of 1961. During his student days he was a noted athlete. He was particularly adept at the game of Gaelic Football and achieved the highest honours with his native county when Co Down won the All-Ireland championship in 1961. Fergus was first received as a member of the Society on 25 June 1958. He became a permanent member on 16 June 1964. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Eugene O’Doherty of Dromore diocese, in St. Colman’s cathedral, Newry, on 16 December 1964. He was one of a class of twelve ordained on that day.
After ordination Fergus was appointed to the diocese of Ondo in South-Western Nigeria. Originally Ondo had formed part of the vast vicariate of the Bight of Benin, first erected in l870, which extended over much of south-western Nigeria. In 1943 the Ondo and Ilorin districts were detached from the vicariate and erected into a separate jurisdiction: the vicariate of Ondo Ilorin. With the erection of the Nigerian hierarchy in l950 Ondo became a diocese in its own right. Fergus served for much of the early years of his priesthood in the teaching ministry at Aquinas College, Akure, where he taught Chemistry and Zoology. In 1968, for a period of nine months, he held an appointment as Director of Students at the Sacred Heart College, Ballinafad, Co Mayo. He spent a further nine months at Westhill College, Birmingham (1969-1970) where he secured a Diploma in Youth Work. During this course he supervised practicum in youth work at Newton Community Centre, Birmingham. Between November 1970 and July 1972 he worked on the promotion team in Northern Ireland. He then returned to Ondo ministering there continuously until June 1980. During these years he held a number of portfolios; he taught biology in Stella Maris College, Okitipupa, Ondo State, served in St. John’s Parish, Okitipupa, was Director of Youth Work for Ondo diocese (stationed at Akure) and was Senior Athletics Coach, Okitipupa Divisional Sports Council. His gift of easily relating to the young stood him in good stead during these years. He had little sympathy with those who found young people undisciplined and untrustworthy. He believed youth should be challenged but they should also be allowed to take risks, ‘because to risk is to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down’. He also emphasised the importance for youth to be given real opportunities and, backed this up in practice by personally sponsoring students for further studies. In 1978 Fergus was elected representative of his confreres to the Provincial Assembly of that year.
Because of his interest in youth the Society asked Fergus to take up the work of vocation recruitment in 1980. He served in this capacity in Northern Ireland for three years. In addition to his recruitment work he was engaged in pastoral ministry at weekends and during vacations; he was also involved in pre-marital counselling, individual counselling with adults and adolescents, and ministry to the sick, dying and bereaved. Next Fergus spent two years at Boston College, in the U.S.A., taking a Masters course in Counselling Psychology (Adult and Adolescent). The skills he picked up here were to stand to him in his next assignment when he was appointed to the Zambian mission. He came to Zambia in 1986 and ministered there until the time of his death. On his arrival he went to Ilondola in the north of the country to learn the Chibemba language. He was then appointed to Chimwemwe - the second largest township in Zambia situated near Kitwe - where he worked with Mick Igoe. Later he was posted to Francisdale mission just outside Ndola city. He was also chaplain to the youth of the diocese. In 1990 Fergus was elected Society Superior for Zambia, responsible for the temporal and spiritual welfare of his confreres. Ill-health intervened in September 1994 when he underwent heart by-pass surgery in the Blackrock Clinic, Dublin. He made a good recovery and was back at his station in Zambia in August 1995. In 2001 Fergus was elected Regional Superior (with basically the same responsibilities as he had as Society Superior). He attended the Extraordinary Provincial Council in 2002 and was re-elected Regional Superior in 2004.
Fergus was highly respected and loved within the society. Quiet and thoughtful, he had a natural strength of character and an ability to meet everyone on their own level. He exercised a strong influence on those who crossed his path, in Africa and Ireland and the other places in which he lived. He died unexpectedly in his room on 17th January 2006. He was discovered by a confrere early on that morning when he did not follow his usual practice of opening the compound gate to allow schoolchildren get to school. His death came as a great shock to family, confreres and friends and to the Catholic community in Ndola diocese. He was the first of his ordination class to die. His funeral Mass took place in the Dominican convent church, Fatima, Ndola on Monday 23rd January 2006 followed by burial in Francisdale Cemetery. Family members, as well as the Provincial superior (Fauchtna O’Driscoll) travelled to Zambia for his funeral.
He is buried in the cemetery attached to Francisdale Mission, Ndola, Zambia.
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