Société des Missions Africaines - Province d’Irlande

né le 30 mars 1920 à Curry dans l’archidiocèse de Tuam, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1939 prêtre le 19 décembre 1942 décédé le 29 juillet 2002

1943-1946 Cork, université, études 1946-1949 Wilton, professeur et université, études 1950-1957 Ballinafad, Castlebar, supérieur 1957-1959 préfecture d’Ibadan, Nigeria 1959-1972 diocèse d’Ibadan, Nigeria 1973-2002 Blackrock Road, Cork, retiré décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 29 juillet 2002 à l’âge de 82 ans

Patrick Glynn was born in Curry, Cummer, Co Galway, in the parish of Cummer and Kilmoylan, in the Archdiocese of Tuam, on 30 March 1920. He died in the South Infirmary, Cork, on 29 July 2002.

Patrick (Paddy) was one of twelve children born to Thomas and Ellen (nee Monaghan) Glynn who farmed in Curry. Three of Paddy’s sisters became religious sisters (O.S.F.) in America, with the religious names Philomena, Teresa and Emmanuel. Paddy went to Clara Monastery school until he was fourteen years old. It was here that the seeds of his vocation were sown. Influenced by Brother Bernard and Brother Fintan, he chose to go to the Apostolic School which was part of Mungret College, Co Limerick, for his secondary education (1934-1937). The Apostolic School provided free education for boys who were interested in priesthood but had not yet ‘signed up’ with a bishop or a missionary society. Students in the Apostolic school were mainly destined for the ‘foreign missions’, which meant service in Australia, America, South Africa, or England (the Irish Diaspora); or for the ‘pagan missions’, meaning Africa or Asia.

Paddy was a good student and obtained his intermediate certificate and matriculation without much difficulty. He was also good at sport, making the College Senior rugby team. During his last year in Mungret Paddy (along with a number of other students) opted to join the Society of African Missions for service in Africa. His decision to choose the SMA was influenced by the encouragement he received from Fr. Larry Dolan SMA, a near neighbour in Cummer. Paddy entered the Society’s novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in the autumn of 1937. Two years later he was promoted to the major seminary, at Dromantine, Newry, Co. Down. Paddy was first received as a member of the Society on 2 July 1939. He was ordained a priest, along with nine colleagues, in the chapel of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at Moyne Park, Tuam, Co Galway, on 19 December 1942. Society ordinations normally took place in Newry cathedral but a fifty mile limit on car travel due to the war would have prevented his family from attending. Several other classmates were faced with the same problem so the ordinations were arranged for three locations: Dromantine chapel, Skibbereen cathedral (for the southerners) and Moyne Park (for the westerners). The ordaining prelate at Moyne Park was Archbishop Joseph Walsh, of Tuam.

After ordination Paddy returned to Dromantine to complete his theological course. Having achieved good academic results during his seminary years he was then chosen to study for a university degree. This was a time when the Society’s missionary bishops in Nigeria and the Gold Coast were conscious of a likelihood that secondary education would expand after the war. In particular science graduates would be at a premium. While residing at Blackrock Road, Paddy enrolled at University College Cork, being awarded an honours science degree in 1946. His major subjects were botany and zoology. On completion of this degree he taught science in the SMA apostolic school at Wilton while pursuing post-graduate studies. Paddy was awarded an M.Sc. degree in 1948. The title of his M.Sc. thesis was ‘A Study of Nodules and Nodule Bacteria in Clover.’

At the end of the following academic year, spent on the staff of the SMA College at Ballinafad, Co Mayo, he acquired a Diploma in Education from U.C.G. Paddy was retained in Ballinafad until 1957, teaching Science and serving as Vice-Rector (1952-1953) and Superior (1953-1957). He also had responsibility for putting up new class halls and other buildings in the College. In December 1951 he had been appointed to Nigeria, but a change in the Provincial Administration led to a withdrawal of that appointment. During his early years in Ballinafad Paddy was a little unsettled and made several requests to be sent to the missions and even one to leave the Society but difficulty in finding a replacement for a man of his ability – both as Science Professor – and Superior – meant that he remained there. Finally in 1957 his wish was granted.

Paddy had succeeded Richard Finn as Superior of Ballinafad on the latter’s appointment as Prefect Apostolic of the new jurisdiction of Ibadan, carved from the Lagos Archdiocese. Paddy was now appointed to Ibadan Prefecture to head the Science department in Fatima College at Ikire, near Ibadan city. This institution had been opened in 1956 under the Principalship of Frank McCabe. Paddy was to remain in Fatima College as Science Professor and as Principal (from 1960), until 1971. He also helped out in Holy Cross parish, Ikire. He then began to exhibit symptoms of an addictive illness which was to afflict him for the rest of his life. In December 1972, returning to Ireland, he was hospitalised at Shanakiel Hospital after which, in February 1973, he retired to Blackrock Road where he was to spend the remaining twenty-nine years of his life.

Paddy was never to recover his health or successfully overcome addiction and, increasingly as the years passed, he became isolated and reclusive, keeping himself at a distance from his confreres. However whenever he emerged into the community he made his presence felt through his wit, his turn of phrase, his command of language, his love of poetry and song, and his expert knowledge of numerous (often arcane) subjects. His sayings were quoted widely within the community and the Province. In particular he had a wide knowledge of the Irish language and could give the derivation of the most difficult words and place-names with ease. An intelligent and articulate man, courteous and likeable (liked especially by those who nursed him in his latter years), his domination by his illness was a source of much sadness to those around him, although he himself always presented a cheerful exterior. Doubtless he had his moments of torment.

As the homilist at his Requiem Mass said: ‘Knowing him to be a man with a brilliant mind one can only imagine what mental torment this inability to respond must have created. But did God love him less because of this? St. John certainly would give a very categorical no … Paddy through his illness experienced the love of God at a more profound level than many of us because he knew that it was simply a free gift, it was not earned.’ Paddy’s earlier days were happier and his passing was marked by the Past Pupils of Fatima College who fondly remembered him and arranged for the celebration of a moving requiem Mass - led by Fr. Peter Ajibola, an ‘old boy’ - in the Ekire parish church.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.