Société des Missions Africaines – Province d'Irlande

né le 10 novembre 1888 à Swinford dans le diocèse d'Achonry, Irlande membre de la SMA le 13 novembre 1917 prêtre le 13 juin 1920 décédé le 28 mai 1926

1920-1922 professeur à Ballinafad et au noviciat de Kilcogan 1922-1926 vicariat apostolique de la Nigeria occidentale décédé à Asaba, Nigeria, le 28 mai 1926, à l’âge de 38 ans

A Assaba (Nigeria), le 28 mai 1926, retour à Dieu du père Philip Cassidy, à l'âge de 38 ans.

Philip Cassidy naquit dans le diocèse d'Achonry (Irlande), en 1888. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la Société, fit le serment en 1917 et fut ordonné prêtre en 1920. Le père Cassidy fut d'abord professeur à Ballinafad, puis au noviciat de Kilcogan, et en 1923 il partait pour le vicariat de la Nigeria Occidentale. Il se révéla un prêtre modèle, pénétré d'un grand esprit de zèle et de sacrifice.

Il mourut victime de son devoir et de son dévouement. Ayant appris que des chrétiens se mouraient de la fièvre jaune dans la région de l'Ekiti, malgré le danger, le père Cassidy y alla et les soulagea en leur apportant les derniers sacrements. Il revint à Assaba épuisé par quinze jour de dévouement auprès des malades. Il mourut peu après d'une bilieuse. C'était une perte bien cruelle pour ce vicariat, déjà si pauvre en personnel, que de perdre un "tel missionnaire".

Father Philip CASSIDY (1888 - 1926)

Philip Cassidy was born in Charlestown, Co Mayo, in the diocese of Achonry, on 10 November 1888. He died in Onitsha hospital, Nigeria, on 28 May 1926.

Philip studied in the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, between 1911 1912 and spent the next three years completing his secondary education at St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork. He commenced his philosophical studies at St. Joseph's seminary, Blackrock Road, Cork, in 1915. Two years later he began his theological formation in the same seminary. Philip was received as a member of the Society on 13 November 1917 and was ordained a priest on 13 June 1920. He was one of a group of ten ordained on that day. The ordination ceremony took place in St. Joseph's church, adjoining the seminary. The ordaining prelate was Bishop William J. Miller O.M.I., vicar apostolic of the Transvaal.

Philip was ordained at a time when there were large numbers of students entering the Society's colleges and when the number of priests to train them was pitifully small. With ten newly ordained priests at his disposal, it was inevitable that the Provincial, William Butler, would retain some at home to work in the colleges. Philip's first appointment was to the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, where there were 25 students, most preparing for their intermediate certificate and a handful who had already matriculated, learning Latin in preparation for their ecclesiastical studies. After a year Philip was transferred to the staff of the novitiate and house of philosophy which had been opened at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in September 1918, and where there were 24 students in formation.

At the end of the academic year in Kilcolgan Philip's superiors appointed him to the vicariate of Western Nigeria, the first mission in Nigeria to be entrusted to the Irish Province, in 1918. Philip arrived in mid October 1922 and was posted by Thomas Broderick, the vicar apostolic, to Warri district, a region of creeks and waterways situated in the Niger delta. The principal station of Warri had been established in 1917 under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier. By 1922 there was a Catholic community of almost 700 members and 4,000 catechumens, located in Warri, Forcados, Burutu, Sapele and a host of smaller stations. George Krauth, an Alsatian member of the Society, was acting superior of Warri, assisted by John Cadogan who had been ordained in 1921. After Christmas Philip fell ill and went to Asaba to recuperate.

When he had recovered Bishop Broderick sent him to Agenebode district, to teach in St. Martin's minor seminary and assist in the mission. Gabriel Lelievre was superior of the seminary while Pierre Piotin was in charge of the 'parish'. Philip described the seminary in a letter to the Provincial: 'It is built on a height which renders the air dry and breezy and though the temperature is higher than at Asaba one feels much cooler. Good healthy food is plentiful also'. He gave a detailed description, too, of the Afenmai people of the district which he suggested could be used in the African Missionary, the Province's magazine. Bishop Broderick, in a separate letter to Cork marvelled at the progress Philip had made in learning the Afenmai language. On 22 March 1924 Fr. Piotin died at Agenebode and Philip was appointed to replace him as superior of the mission. He was also placed in charge of the seminary which at the time had six students. In both works he was assisted by Jerome Sheehan and Valentine Barnicle.

Philip was a great correspondent, writing to the Provincial on a regular basis keeping him up to date on all the happenings not only in Afenmai country and the seminary, but in the vast vicariate. His letters, always informed with charity, are a valuable 'mine of information' for the historian. Bishop Broderick's reports to Cork on Philip's work outlined the delicate situation in Agenebode with the British colonial officials tending to favour Islam at the expense of the Catholics. Philip, who was fiery by temperament, tended to have sharp exchanges from time to time with the district officer (a Captain Archer) which caused the bishop some worry, although he felt that the substance of Philip's criticisms was justified. However he was painfully aware that another missionary who had fallen foul of the authorities, Berengario Cermenati, had been forced recently to leave Nigeria, and he did not want to lose a man of Philip's calibre.

Philip died in May 1926 as a result of his devotion to duty. Learning that Christians were dying of yellow fever in the region of Ekiti, he cycled a distance of some 50 to 60 miles, despite the danger, to bring them the last sacraments. He returned to Asaba exhausted after two weeks spent in the midst of the yellow fever epidemic, and already suffering from blackwater fever. He died shortly afterwards, within a month of the sixth anniversary of his ordination. It was a cruel blow for the vicariate, so low in personnel at the time, to lose such a missionary. William Porter, the Society's 'visitor' in western Nigeria (responsible for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the members) wrote of Philip: 'He was a model priest, imbued with a great spirit of zeal and self sacrifice. His only anxiety during his last illness centred around his mission, making, as he did, constant enquiries as to how things were going on. He clung to life to the very last thread, never once losing hope, and when at last he knew that the end was near, his resignation to the Holy Will of God was only equalled by the fortitude with which he bore his sufferings'. Bishop Broderick, who had a great affection for Philip, wrote: 'He was another St. Paul, with all the hardihood of him. He thought no journey too long, no work too hard, no suffering noticeable, provided it were for God's work. He was an inspiration to us who saw his labour. Phil died for Africa. He had no regrets in giving his life.'

Philip was an Irish speaker, and during his seminary days he gave classes to other interested students. He was also fascinated by folklore and spent as much time as he could spare talking to old people in Ireland about customs and the past. He brought the same interests to his work in Nigeria, becoming expert in the local language and learning all he could about local customs. Both these attainments brought him nearer to the people and made him a more effective pastor. Philip’s nephew, Joseph, ordained a priest in 1959, became Bishop of Clonfert in 1982 and Archbishop of Tuam in 1987.

He is buried in the mission cemetery at Asaba, Nigeria.