Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 14 décembre 1896 à Hollymount dans le diocèse de Tuam membre de la SMA le 13 novembre 1917 prêtre le 13 juin 1920 décédé le 31 janvier 1977

1920-1925 Wilton, enseignant 1925-1928 missionnaire dans l'Ouest Nigeria 1928-1930 Irlande, animation missionnaire 1930-1934 missionnaire dans l'Ouest Nigeria 1934-1939 Wilton, études supérieures 1939-1943 Ballinafad, enseignant puis supérieur 1944-1949 missionnaire en Egypte 1950-1951 Wilton, enseignant 1951-1960 Ballinafad, enseignant 1960-1973 monastère franciscain, Clifden, aumônier 1973-1977 maison du Bon secours, Tuam, retiré décédé à Tuam, Irlande, le 31 janvier 1977, à l'âge de 80 ans

Father John Joseph HEANEY (1896 - 1977)

John Heaney was born at Hollymount, Co Mayo, in the archdiocese of Tuam, on 14 December 1896. He died in the Bon Secours home, Tuam, on 31 January 1977.

Hailing from Robeen parish, John studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, between 19ll 19l2, and at St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork, between 19l2 19l5. Having then completed his secondary education, he joined the S.M.A. novitiate and seminary at Blackrock Road, Cork, where, on 13 November 19l7, he was admitted to membership of the Society. He studied philosophy and theology at Blackrock, completing his course in the summer of 1920. John was ordained a priest by Bishop J. Miller, O.M.I., vicar apostolic of the Transvaal, in the public church adjoining the seminary at Blackrock Road, on 13 June 1920. He was one of a group of ten ordained on that day.

John was to spend most of his life in the educational apostolate. A talented teacher of Latin, English, Irish and mathematics, after ordination he spent five years on the staff at Wilton. In 1925 he was assigned to the vicariate of Western Nigeria. When John arrived he found a thriving mission, in which the development of schools was seen as a priority. It was felt that children educated in mission schools would themselves become evangelisers. The people, too, were anxious to have their children educated - it was the most obvious means of economic and social advancement - while government policy also favoured the vigorous development of education. With his background in teaching John was immediately appointed to school work. He was first stationed at Onitsha-Olona; after eight months, in August 1926, he was transferred to Warri.

In 1928, however, ill health forced him back to Ireland where, after surgery and a period of convalescence, he was placed on promotion work. In 1930 he was again able to return to Africa for a further period of four years. He was appointed first to Ubiaja and in August 1930 he was transferred to the major seminary at Asaba. This institution, opened in 1927, provided training for seminarians from all jurisdictions in the south-west, west and north of Nigeria. In March 1932 John took up an appointment at St. Thomas' teacher training college, Ibusa, which had been established by Bishop Broderick in 1928 to provide teachers for the vicariate's rapidly expanding elementary school network. In 1935, reflecting the policy of the Province at that time to have members properly trained for the educational apostolate, John took up residence in Wilton in order to attend U.C.C. He was awarded a B.A. degree in June 1938 and a higher diploma in education a year later. Armed with his degree he was now appointed to the Province's apostolic school, at Ballinafad, where from 1940 he was the superior.

In 1944 John was assigned to the Egyptian mission, to the vicariate of the Nile Delta, where the Province staffed a number of secondary colleges. He was appointed headmaster of St. George's college at 8 Midan El Afdal (near Ciccolani), Choubra, Cairo. St. George's was known as the 'English' college, because English was the language of tuition; it was also known as the Anglo-Copte college, because most of the pupils were either Europeans or Copts (later, in 1950, St. George's was amalgamated with St. Austin's school and re-located at 15 Sharia Qait Bai, Heliopolis). In 1947, falling ill, John returned to Ireland where, after a short convalescence, he took up a post on the teaching staff at Wilton. From 195l 1960 he taught at Ballinafad. Between 1960 1973 he was chaplain to the Franciscan Monastery, Clifden, Co Galway. From 1973 until his death he was retired at the Bon Secours home, Tuam. During his years at Ballinafad John did much to foster good relations between the Society and the secular clergy. He was a good friend of Archbishop Joseph Cunnane of Tuam and was always very popular with the local priests. John died at the age of 87 years, one of the oldest members of the Province at the time.

His obituary in the African Missionary recalls that 'John was a legend in his own life-time. Latin, English, Irish and all Maths, he was a splendid teacher of each. He was famed as a teacher in our higher colleges in Nigeria and Egypt. Fifty years ago at a Teachers' Conference in Warri, Nigeria, leading British education experts read papers. Fr. Heaney had been asked to read one. Years later, astounded English education officers and African headmasters would tell how, without notes, he demonstrated for almost an hour, at the blackboard, on the practical teaching of Logarithms.' A contemporary described John as 'a clever and well-informed priest. He was an entertaining story-teller in any company, both in Africa and in Ireland'.

He is buried in Robeen, Co Mayo.