Société des Missions Africaines –Province des Etats-Unis

né le 7 novembre 1928 à Oola Hills dans le diocèse de Cashel & Emly, Irlande membre permanent de la SMA le 2 février 1955 prêtre le 5 février 1955 décédé le 28 juillet 1999

1956 Dedham, professeur 1956-1964 missionnaire au Liberia, Cape Palmas 1964-1965 Los Angeles, USA, Sainte-Odile 1965-1967 Chicago, animation missionnaire 1967-1969 missionnaire au Liberia, Monrovia, puis Cape Palmas 1969-1972 Irlande 1973 USA, ministère pastoral 1974-1989 missionnaire au Liberia, Monrovia, puis Cape Palmas 1991-1999 missionnaire en Côte-d'Ivoire, décédé à Limerick, Irlande, le 28 juillet 1999, à l'âge de 70 ans

James Vincent Hayes was born at Oola Hills, Oola, Co. Limerick, Ireland, in the parish of Sologhead and Oola, in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, on November 7, 1928. He died in the Regional Hospital in Limerick, while on a visit to Ireland, on July 28, 1999.

Coming from a farming background, James was one of five children born to Richard and Elizabeth (nee Duggan) Hayes of Oola, Co Limerick. He received his elementary education in the local national school. He commenced his secondary education with the Christian Brothers, in Doon, Co Limerick, completing it at Cistercian College, Roscrea (1942-1947). He then applied to enter the Society of African Missions and went to the Society’s novitiate and house of philosophy in Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Two years later, in 1950, having completed his course, he was obliged to leave the Irish Province due to ‘lack of proper application to study’. He had failed Irish in his Leaving Certificate and his grades were a little below average, but there was nothing which could not be improved on. Determined to become a missionary priest in July 1950 James applied to join the American Province. Before going to Kilcolgan he had already applied to join the American Province, in September 1947, and had been accepted, but owing to stiff opposition from his parents decided to join the Irish Province. Now for a second time he was accepted and, sailing to America on the Georgio in March 1951, came to Queen of Apostles Seminary, Washington DC where for the next four years he attended theology lectures in the Catholic University. James took the Perpetual Oath of membership on February 2, 1955 and was ordained a priest at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC, by Bishop John M. McNamara, on February 5, 1955. Ordained with him on that day were Kevin Scanlan, Philip Bagnasco, Philip Carrigan, Owen O’Sullivan and Albert Cooney. He celebrated his first Solemn High Mass on February 13, in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Broadway at Isham St., New York City.

After ordination James taught for a year at the SMA Queen of Angels Seminary in Dedham, MA. He then went to the Prefecture of Cape Palmas, Liberia, a mission which had been entrusted to the American Province in 1950. James did two tours of duty (1956-1964), serving mainly in Grand Cess, Picinny Cess, Barclayville and Sinoe. In 1964 he returned to the USA and served as assistant pastor for a year at St. Odilia’s parish, Los Angeles. He then was appointed to the staff of the SMA promotion house in Chicago. In 1967 James returned to Liberia, to the Archdiocese of Monrovia. Two years later he transferred briefly to the diocese of Cape Palmas. James ministered in Ireland between 1969-1972, returning to pastoral ministry in America in 1973. A year later he returned to Liberia where he remained for the next 15 years, ministering first in the Archdiocese of Monrovia (1974-1979) and then in the diocese of Cape Palmas (1979-1989). In 1991 he moved to the Ivory Coast to look after the needs of refugees of the Liberian Civil War who had fled there in large numbers. He planned to eventually return to Liberia after his vacation in Ireland in 1999.

James was a vibrant, fast-moving, active, cheerful personality, with a strong artistic side to his nature. He also had the quality of courage, shown clearly during the Liberian Civil War and its aftermath. As a student his superiors noted that he had a special gift for music. He could sing plain chant better than most and had a ‘good taste in music appreciation’, which was his sole hobby. He had a comprehensive knowledge of opera and could identify any aria from a few notes. His collection of operatic music on record and tape followed him wherever he went. A great lover of nature, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of plants and flowers. He was moved by beautiful scenery, liked to climb mountains and view sunsets. In Liberia he brought him manifold talents to bear, including a good understanding of medicine and surgery.

James died unexpectedly. He contracted tubercular meningitis which the doctors mistook for malaria. By the time he was admitted to hospital it was too late. At his Requiem Mass – celebrated in Oola church in which he had been baptized - the homilist, his colleague Brendan Darcy, explained that James had asked him to do two things if he happened to be around at the time of his death: firstly not to dispatch him to quickly; and secondly to play at the end of the Mass ‘The March of the Hebrew Slaves’ from Verdi’s opera Nabucco. And this was done.
‘Chains may bind the body tight in slavery, but there is no enslaving the human spirit or the noble thoughts of the human mind…’ “va pensiero sull’ali dorate” – Go forth, my thoughts, on golden wings.

He is buried in the family grave in Doon cemetery, Co Limerick, Ireland