Société des Missions Africaines – Province d'Irlande

né le 6 septembre 1903 à Fermoy dans le diocèse de Cloyne, Irlande membre de la SMA le 15 juillet 1923 prêtre le 16 juin 1927 décédé le 21 mai 1962

1927-1931 Wilton et Ballinafad, professeur 1931-1934 USA, travail pastoral 1935 Kilcogan puis Wilton 1936-1937 missionnaire en Egypte 1937-1962 au service du diocèse de Nottingham décédé à Derby, Angleterre, le 21 mai 1962, à l’âge de 59 ans

A Ednaston, Derby (Grande-Bretagne), le 21 mai 1962, retour à Dieu du père James Bernard Mac Carthy, à l'âge de 59 ans.

James Bernard Mac Carthy naquit à Fermoy, dans le diocèse de Cloyne (Irlande), en 1903. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la Société. Il fut admis au serment en 1923 et fut ordonné prêtre en 1927. Destiné à l'enseignement, le père Mac Carthy passa deux ans comme professeur à Wilton, puis deux ans à Ballinafad. D'une santé plutôt médiocre, mais animé de bonne volonté, le père partit vers l'Amérique. Il exerça le ministère dans le diocèse d'East-Saint-Louis de 1931 à 1934. Revenu en Irlande, il passa un an au noviciat de Kilcogan et un an au séminaire de Wilton. En 1936, le père Mac Carthy s'embarquait pour l'Egypte où sa santé ne lui permit pas de rester bien longtemps.

A partir de 1937, le père James Mac Carthy exerça le saint ministère dans le diocèse de Nottingham, en Grande-Bretagne. Il mourut à la clinique Sainte-Marie, à Ednaston, Derby.

Father James Bernard McCARTHY (1903 - 1962)

James Bernard McCarthy was born in Fermoy, Co Cork (the family address was 4 Chapel Square), in the diocese of Cloyne, on 6 September 1903. He died in St. Mary's nursing home, Ednaston, Brailsford, Derby, England, on 2l May 1962.

James studied in the colleges of the Society in Ireland. He came to the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, in 1917 and a year later to St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork, where he completed his secondary education. He went to the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in the autumn of 1921. Two years later, on 15 July 1923, he was admitted to membership of the Society and went on to St. Joseph's seminary, Blackrock Road, Cork, for his theological training. With the transfer of the major seminary to Dromantine, Co Down, in 1926, he completed his formation there, and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry on l6 June 1927. He was one of a group of eleven ordained on that day.

James' priestly career was marked by poor health, which prevented him from going to west Africa. After ordination he spent two years teaching at St. Joseph's college, Wilton, the Province's apostolic school, where students studied for the leaving certificate (or university matriculation) in a three year cycle. The original apostolic school had been located at 'Lough View' (April 1877) on the old Youghal Road, Cork, and then at 'Elm Grove', in Mayfield (October 1877). In September 1881 the school was moved to Blackrock Road. The purchase of the Wilton property and some 14 acres was made by Joseph Zimmermann (superior of the Irish branch) in July 1888 and on 23 March 1889 the students at Blackrock packed their bags and baggage on carts and transferred to the new college. When James came to Wilton he joined a staff led by John Corcoran, with James McDonnell as director of students, and Pat Harmon who taught science, Greek and Latin. James taught mathematics and geography. There were 60 students in the college. In 1929 James was assigned to the Province's junior secondary college the Sacred Heart college at Ballinafad, Co Mayo.

In 1907, with Wilton full to over flowing, Fr. Zimmermann decided to found a second college in a property given to the Society by Llewellyn Blake, a landowner in the west of Ireland. William Butler was chosen to be first principal of this school which opened its doors on 23 March 1908. Henceforth Ballinafad would provide training for the intermediate certificate, in a three year cycle. It also provided tuition for students who had already completed secondary education but lacked the requisite level of Latin necessary for their ecclesiastical studies. John Levins was superior when James came to Ballinafad. Michael Rowan taught Latin and history, Vincent Moore taught English, while James taught mathematics and geography. There were 40 students in the college.

In 1931 James was assigned to the Society's mission to African Americans in East St. Louis, U.S.A. Ten years earlier the Irish Province, which had a growing number of invalided members no longer capable of working in the tropics, decided to seek a mission in a more temperate climate. Peter Harrington, who pioneered the project, gained admission to the diocese of Belleville in Southern Illinois, where he established the Province's first American mission at East St. Louis. The parish, named after St. Augustine, and located at 1400 East Broadway, served a population which was largely African American. It was to this parish that James was appointed on his arrival in the U.S.A. He joined a staff led by Peter Harrington, with James Stanley and Michael Tiernan as assistant pastors. In January 1935 James returned to Ireland, and after six months in Kilcolgan, took up a post in Wilton.

After a year he was appointed to the vicariate of the Nile Delta, in Egypt, where the Province had just taken charge of the 'English language' secondary schools. James was posted to St. George's college (its complete name was 'St. George's English College', located at 8 Midan El Afdal, Choubra, Cairo, where John Prendergast was superior and the other Irish members of staff were Edward Cashman and James McEvoy. James remained in Egypt until the end of the 1937 academic year. He wrote to his Provincial, Stephen Harrington, asking for a change, saying that he was unhappy in a teaching ministry. From 1937 James ministered in the diocese of Nottingham, serving first in the parish ministry and then as chaplain to a community of Brothers at St. Francis Xavier's, Deeping St. James, Peterborough. Never robust he contracted a bad flu in the early summer of 1962 which developed into pneumonia. He failed to rally. He was in his 58th year when he died.

He is buried in Brailsford, Derby, England.