Société des Missions Africaines – Province des Etats-Unis

né le 12 juillet 1905 à Athlone dans le diocèse de Clonfert, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1930 prêtre le 10 juin 1934 décédé le 4 juillet 1980

1934-1945 Nigeria 1947-1949 Washington, formateur 1949-1970 Géorgie et Californie, Etats-Unis,  paroisses noires 1970-1980 Géorgie, retiré décédé à Teaneck, Etats-Unis, le 4 juillet 1980 à l’âge de 84 ans

John Galvin was born at Tavanagh, Brideswell, Athlone, Co Roscommon, Ireland, in the diocese of Clonfert, on July 12, l905. He died in the Holy Name hospital, Teaneck, New Jersey, USA, on July 4, l980.

John was one of five children born to Daniel and Bridget (nee Harrison) Galvin, of Brideswell, Athlone, Ireland. Having attended the local national school, John was educated in the colleges of the Society. He studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (l923-1925), and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (l925-1928), before entering the novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. He was admitted to membership of the Society on July 2, 1930 and spent the following four years receiving his theological formation in the Society’s major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, in St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on June 10, 1934. John was one of a group of seventeen ordained on that day.

After ordination John was appointed to the Vicariate of the Bight of Benin, in south western Nigeria, reaching his mission in October 1934. On his arrival he was posted to Holy Cross 'Cathedral' parish, the oldest mission in Nigeria established in 1868. Jean Grando, a French member of the Society, was superior. The other priests in this busy station were Patrick Cahill, Pat Dorr and Liam Murphy. Together they served a Catholic community of over 10,000 members and 800 catechumens. After two and a half years in Lagos John was posted to the town of Oshogbo. This mission had a large number of secondary stations with significant Catholic communities. John served in Oshogbo for two years, going to Ireland on his first home leave in July 1939. Before returning to Nigeria, a year later, John was inoculated against yellow fever in London. In 1937 a yellow fever epidemic had carried off a number of missionaries in Nigeria. An inoculation, using a live serum (and requiring a subsequent period of quarantine in Yaba), was available in Lagos. At the same time an 'inert' serum was produced in London. John was among the first group of SMA's to avail of this safer inert serum. He returned to Nigeria early in July 1940, spending the next two and half years at Holy Cross. During the remaining years of this second tour he served at Ilawe (six months) and Yaba (for two years). Yaba was the fourth principal mission of Lagos district, founded as a residential station in 1936. Part of John's ministry in this growing parish was to visit the government leper settlement.

In 1941 an American Province of the Society was formed and during the forties and early fifties several members of the Irish Province joined or were seconded to this work. When John returned to Ireland on leave in 1945 he was in poor health. While in Nigeria he had surgery on two occasions and he suffered severely from the climate. After a period of convalescence he went to the USA to visit relatives. While there he met Ignatius Lissner, the Provincial, and Anthony McAndrew, who was superior of the Seminary at Silver Spring, Washington DC. They suggested that he should stay on in America and join the Province. John communicated this proposition to Stephen Harrington, the Irish Provincial; and Fr. Lissner also wrote. Meanwhile John had another operation in Carney hospital, South Boston, Massachusetts. John's request coincided with the Irish Provincial Assembly, held in Cork in June 1946. After this Assembly, Patrick Martin Kelly, the newly-elected Provincial, gave John permission to join the American Province. The Superior General, Maurice Slattery, ratified his appointment. When John received the news he was back in Ireland and was still unwell. He eventually sailed for America on May 8, 1948.

On his arrival the Provincial, Peter Harrington (Stephen's brother) appointed John to the promotion team, working out of the major seminary in Washington DC. After two years John was appointed to the Society's missions in Georgia. He was posted pastor of St. Anthony's parish, Savannah, which served an exclusively African-American community. This mission, which had been founded in 1909 by Fr. Lissner, was particularly difficult, not only because of the humid climate, but because of the demoralised and poverty-stricken state of the people in this era of racial inequality and discrimination. In 1952, after three years in St. Anthony's, John was assigned to the SMA parish of St. Odilia's, on Hooper Avenue, Los Angeles, another largely African-American parish (although Mexican members were already growing in number), situated in one of the poorest districts of the city, later scene of the notorious Watts riots of the 1960's. John served there for four years. He spent his remaining years of his ministry in St Peter Claver’s parish, Macon (1956-1967). Officially retired in 1970, he remained on in Macon helping out as much as he could in the parish, until he sustained a stroke in May 1980 and was taken to Coliseum Park Hospital. He seemed to rally and was transferred to the SMA Provincialate in Tenafly, New Jersey. However, his health continued to fail and he died as Americans were celebrating their 204th anniversary of independence. His death represented the end of an era because was the last SMA to work in Georgia.

In personality John was a gentle, kindly man, of subtle wit. During his years as Pastor he was active in religious, civic and community affairs. A promoter of Macon’s annual Interdenominational Institute of Religion, he rarely missed a session. He retired in Macon, as he himself said: ‘because I am very happy here… and I consider this my home’. During his retirement he loved nothing better than driving about visiting his friends in Macon and surrounding towns. John was a younger brother of Tom Galvin, who was ordained for the Society in 1932 and served all his life in Nigeria. He was also related to Mick Harrison and John Reddington, both members of the Society.

He is buried in the SMA Community Plot, Mount Carmel cemetery, Tenafly, New Jersey, USA.