Société des Missions Africaines – Province d'Irlande

né le 19 novembre 1910 à Dublin dans le diocèse de Dublin, Irlande membre de la SMA le 10 juin 1933 prêtre le 21 décembre 1935 décédé le 8 août 1959

1936-1946 missionnaire au Nigeria 1946-1947 Ballinafad, supérieur 1948-1952 missionnaire au Nigeria 1952-1954 Irlande, propagandiste 1954-1959 missionnaire au Nigeria décédé à Lagos, Nigeria, le 8 août 1959, à l’âge de 49 ans

A Lagos (Nigeria), le 8 août 1959, retour à Dieu du père John Mooney, à l'âge de 49 ans.

John Mooney naquit à Dublin en 1910. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la Société en Irlande. Il fit le serment en 1933 et fut ordonné prêtre en décembre 1935. En 1936, le père Mooney partit pour le vicariat de la Côte du Bénin. C'était un missionnaire gai et enjoué, animateur de toutes les réunions. Il avait un grand amour et une grande compréhension pour les enfants, ainsi qu'une grande bonté pour les malheureux et les incompris. Son courage calme en face des difficultés montrait la qualité de l'homme. Il voyait tout du bon côté et savait communiquer aux autres son optimisme, quelque sombre ou difficile que fût la situation.

En mission, le père Mooney fut professeur au petit séminaire, puis supérieur et directeur d'écoles en divers lieux. En 1946, il était revenu en Irlande comme supérieur de Ballinafad, mais dès l'année suivante il retournait au Nigeria.

Il fut nommé supérieur à Oyé Ekiti, dans le vicariat d'Ondo Ilorin. Il y resta jusqu'en 1951. En 1952, il était nommé propagandiste en Irlande et fut tout spécialement responsable de "Briands Brigade" jusqu'en 1954.

A cette date, il repartit pour le Nigeria, à Lagos. Il fut un des organisateurs du grand congrès marial. Il fut aussi, quelques mois, secrétaire de l'archevêque et trésorier de l'archidiocèse, poste qu'il assurait au moment de sa mort.

Il mourut à la suite d'une opération. Toujours prêt à rendre service, le père Mooney a vécu et est mort pour l'Afrique.

Father John Patrick MOONEY (1910 - 1959)

John Mooney was born in North Brown Street, Dublin, in the archdiocese of Dublin (the family address was 9, Cuala Road, Cabra), on 19 November 1910. He died in hospital at Lagos, on 8 August 1959.

John studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1926 27) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1927 1930), before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Two years later he went to the Society's major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down, to complete his training for priesthood. He was admitted to the Society on 10 June 1933 and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, in St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 21 December 1935. He was one of a group of twenty one ordained on that day.

After ordination John returned to Dromantine for six months to complete his theological formation. He was then appointed to the vicariate of the Bight of Benin. This jurisdiction comprised much of south western Nigeria (and parts of Dahomey) and had its administrative centre at Lagos. John was to serve there from October 1936 until 1946. His first appointment, given to him by Francis O'Rourke, the vicar apostolic, was to St. Theresa's inter vicarial minor seminary, at Oke Are, Ibadan. This institute provided secondary education for seminarians from most of the jurisdictions in south and south west Nigeria. John remained in St. Theresa's for over two years. He joined a staff led by Tom Bunyan.

From 1937 Tom Galvin was superior and another member of staff who jointed after his ordination in May, was Julius Sakiku, a Nigerian priest. When Fr. Galvin went on leave, in July 1938, John became superior at Oke Are. In June 1939 Leo Hale Taylor, vicar apostolic of Western Nigeria, was translated to the 'Lagos' jurisdiction. On his arrival in Lagos Bishop Taylor appointed John as his secretary. John was to retain this position during the remaining years of his first tour of duty, residing at Holy Cross cathedral mission in Lagos. John went on his first home leave in July 1941. His return to Nigeria was delayed because of the war, but he reached his mission eventually in March 1943. He spent the next three years in Holy Cross mission, which was Nigeria's first mission station, founded in 1868. John spent the last four months of his second tour in Topo, an island off Badagry where, in addition to a mission, the vicariate had a coconut plantation (it produced the 'cash crop', copra, used for cosmetics and soap), a boys boarding school, a convent and orphanage.

When John returned to Ireland on his next home leave, in October 1946, he was appointed superior of Ballinafad. There were some 40 pupils in the college which trained students for intermediate certificate. In January 1948 John returned to Africa. The Provincial of the time, Dr P.M. Kelly (elected in 1946), had inaugurated an innovative 'Society work', in the vicariate of Ondo Ilorin. This work, which came to be known as the 'Oye Ekiti Scheme', involved the harnessing of local crafts and art skills, such as weaving and wood carving, and also the use of indigenous construction and irrigation methods. In January 1948 John was appointed superior of the 'Scheme', a difficult task because of the heavy demand on resources required to maintain such a venture in its formative phase, and the misgivings of some senior confreres who felt resources would be better spent in building conventional schools, churches and mission residences.

In 1951 John's health broke down and he was compelled to return home. After some months convalescing he was posted to the main administrative office at Blackrock Road and also assumed direction of the Little Flower Confraternity attached to the public church. Moreover he took up his pen to write the 'Children's Corner' in the African Missionary, the Province's monthly magazine. In August 1954 John returned to Africa, to the old Benin vicariate which had been erected into the archdiocese of Lagos some four years earlier. He was to spend the remaining years of his life in the archdiocese, dying at his post in August, 1959. John's death came at a relatively young age. On Friday 31 July he fell ill and on the following Sunday he was hospitalised and peritonitis was diagnosed. He appeared to rally, however on 7 August he suffered a setback and was anointed. Over four thousand people attended his funeral, one of the largest ever seen at Lagos.

John was a man of many abilities which were put to full use during his relatively short lifetime in the service of the missionary Church. Superior of missions, seminary professor, manager of schools, secretary to bishops, in the last years of his life his flair for organisation was given full scope during the preparations for the Nigerian Marian congress of 1954, the first great National Congress held in Nigeria. At the time of his death he was procurator of the archdiocese of Lagos, responsible for its financial administration. On a personal level John was a most entertaining companion, kind and gentle with the people, good with children.

He is buried in Ikoyi cemetery, Lagos, Nigeria.