Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande

A Cork (Irlande), le 27 juin 1910, retour à Dieu du père John Baptist Barret, à l'âge de 66 ans.

John Baptist Barret naquit à West-Port, dans le diocèse de Tuam (Irlande), en 1844. Il fit ses études en Angleterre et passa 10 ans à York comme professeur et secrétaire d'un collège.

En 1877, il arrivait à Lyon aux Missions Africaines, y commençait la théologie et faisait son serment en 1878. Peu après, il partait pour Cork et était ordonné prêtre en 1879. Après quelques années, le père Barret se retirait à Londres comme procureur, puis venait habiter Cork.

Father John Baptist BARRETT (1844 - 1910)

John Barrett was born in Westport, Co Mayo, in the archdiocese of Tuam, in 1844. He died in Cork, on 27 June 1910.

Although John was one of the major figures in the foundation of the Irish Province of the Society, details about his background and life are scarce. Maurice Slattery, the Irish Provincial, who knew Fr. Barrett, wrote in 1925 that John came from Co Meath. It is known with certainty that John studied in England (at Leeds and Rugby) and spent l0 years in York as teacher and secretary of a secondary college. In February 1877 he entered the S.M.A. seminary at Cours Gambetta, Lyon, France, and began his study of theology. He was received as a member of the Society on 14 June 1878. Shortly afterwards he left for Cork where he was ordained a priest probably on 26 July 1879, although there is some evidence to show that the date of ordination may have been later in 1879. The place of his ordination and name of the ordaining prelate is unknown.

After ordination John spent a short time in England collecting funds for the Society and then lived in Cork but apart from the S.M.A. community. Michael Collins, a historian of the Province, who also knew Fr. Barrett, says John lived apart because of ill-health. There is a record in the archives of the Irish Province of a permission granted John by the Holy See to celebrate Mass in his room (1900) and another indult granting him permission to dispense with an altar server (1903). Michael Collins adds that during John's time in England he made contact with Mr Thomas Himsworth, a Yorkshire farmer, who donated four or five burses (sums of money) for the training of students, and also made available substantial funds for the building of the Society's church on the Blackrock Road, Cork, which was constructed in 1881. It is known that when John returned to Ireland he continued promotional work on behalf of the Irish branch of the S.M.A. acting discreetly, through personal contacts and 'private calls'. During much of his life John acted as personal chaplain to the Misses Coleman of York Hill, Cork, and Youghal, Co Cork. He inherited a substantial sum of money from these ladies which he placed in trust for the Irish branch of the S.M.A. These funds were critical to the survival of the Province in the early days of its existence.

John was a champion of the idea of an Irish missionary movement, enshrined in an of the S.M.A. He worked closely with Joseph Zimmermann who was the founder of the Province. He also appears to have had a wide range of contacts among clergy and laity and was generally held in high regard; this helped to attract support for the scheme to develop the Irish branch of the S.M.A. into a full Province. John died two years before the Province was erected, although he would have known that this important development was imminent.

He is buried in St. Joseph's cemetery, Cork (plot No 3, St. James Section).