Société des Missions Africaines - Province d’Irlande

né le 17 juin 1920 à Scariff dans le diocèse de Killaloe, Irlande membre de la SMA le 30 juin 1940 prêtre le 19 décembre 1943 décédé le 5 septembre 2002

1945-1954 préfecture apostolique de Kaduna, Nigeria 1955-1969 archidiocèse de Kaduna, Nigeria 1969-1973 Rome, procureur et économe général 1973-1979 archidiocèse de Détroit, USA 1979-1987 au service de la Province des Etats-Unis 1987-1997 Dromineer, Comté de Tipperay, retiré 1997-2000 Galway, Irlande, aumônier 2000-2002 Dromineer, Comté de Tipperay, retiré décédé à Cardiff, Pays de Galles, le 5 septembre 2002 à l’âge de 82 ans

Peter Gerard Scanlan was born in Co Clare, in the parish of Scariff, in the diocese of Killaloe, on 17 June 1920. He died in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, on 5 September 2002.

Peter Gerard Scanlan (known as Gerry in the Society) was one of a family of four boys and two girls born to Denis and Mary Kate (nee Melody) Scanlan. His father was a stone-mason and the family lived in Church Street, Scariff. Gerry received his primary school education locally before going to the Christian Brothers in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, for his secondary education (1932-1937). On completion of his fifth year of studies he entered the Jesuit Apostolic School at Mungret, Co Limerick. This institution provided secondary education and a philosophy tier for students who wished to become priests but had not yet committed themselves to a diocese or a congregation. In particular it trained students for the ‘foreign missions’ (Australia, America, New Zealand, England) and the ‘pagan missions’ (Africa and Asia). Among Gerry’s schoolmates at Mungret were Larry Carr, Jim Tobin, Dan McCauley, Paddy Glynn and Joe Maguire, all who subsequently joined the Society. Gerry obtained his leaving certificate in June 1938 and in the following autumn entered the Society’s novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Two years later he was promoted to the theological seminary at Dromantine, Newry, Co Down. Gerry was first received as a member of the Society on 30 June 1940. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Daniel Mageean of Down and Connor diocese, in St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 19 December 1943. He was one of a group of twelve ordained on that day.

After ordination Gerry returned to Dromantine to complete his theology course. Then he was appointed to the Prefecture of Kaduna in Northern Nigeria. It was June 1945 when he eventually secured a war-time passage to his destination. He was to spend the next four years in the Prefecture, ministering in Argungu for two years and in Kontagora and Zaria for a year each. Gerry returned from Ireland after his first home leave in June 1950. He was to serve a further six tours of duty in Africa. Records of his appointments are incomplete but it is known that in 1950 he was stationed in the District of Kontagora assisting Liam O’Callaghan. Five years later he was listed as the parish priest of Kontagora. Perhaps he is best remembered for his work as Diocesan Education Supervisor, a role he discharged in the 1960’s from Education House, Kakuri, but which required him to travel widely to consult with school managers and also to liaise with the Government Education Department. He is also remembered for his work in establishing the Northern office of the Catholic Secretariat at Kaduna which opened in December 1960. He remained as Regional Secretary to the Catholic Secretariat, until the aftermath of the first coup-de-etat (1966-1967).

In August 1969 Gerry’s talents as an organizer and administrator were given further recognition when he was appointed to the Society’s headquarters in Rome as Procurator General. He also acted as house bursar which involved not only catering for the residents but also looking after the many confreres passing through Rome en route to Africa or returning to Europe. On the completion of his term, in August 1973, Gerry took up an appointment in the Archdiocese of Detroit, USA, serving in Holy Innocents Church, Roseville, Michigan – a small parish of some 1,200 families - until October 1979. He was then seconded to the American Province of the Society to become first SMA pastor of Queen of Angels parish, Newark, located in a poor African-American quarter of the city.

Queen of Angels was the oldest African-American parish in the city and had been entrusted to the care of the Society by the Archbishop of Newark. In 1982 an American confrere took over in Newark and Gerry sought permission to go to the Bahamas, not to work in the SMA parish which had been established there some years previously, but to place himself at the disposal of the bishop. After discussions between the various Provincials and Bishop Lawrence Burke S.J. of Nassau diocese, this was agreed. In the event, however, after a brief posting to a diocesan post, he was brought back ‘under the umbrella of the SMA’ and appointed to the SMA parish of St. John Chrysostom, Fresh Creek, Andros Island. During his years in the Bahamas Gerry was central to contacts between the Irish Province and Nassau diocese with a view to starting an ‘Irish SMA mission’ there, although in the end the project was not pursued. In July 1987, now aged sixty-seven and not as robust as before, Gerry returned to Ireland and went to live in Dromineer, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where from time to time he assisted in the local parish of Carrig.

Gerry celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his priesthood in 1993. In September 1997, at the request of the Bishop of Galway, he took on a chaplaincy in the Stella Maris Nursing Home, Lisdoonvarna, staying there until June 2000 when he returned to Dromineer. During summer months he took on light pastoral duties overseas, going to Fuengirola in the South of Spain on a number of occasions. From his return to Ireland in 1987 Gerry made regular trips to America –‘my adopted country’ as he wrote - to visit his younger brother Kevin who had been ordained in the American Province in 1955, and his many friends in many parts of that vast country. Kevin retired from Stella Maris in the spring of 2000 but still kept active. In the summer of that year he again visited America where his brother was gravely ill. Kevin was to die in April 2001. In the summer of 2002 Gerry went to supply in Holy Family Church, Fairwater, Cardiff, as he had done most years since 1994. It was here that he suffered the series of strokes from which he died.

Very different from his brother Kevin who was studious, intellectual and introverted, Gerard was extrovert, genial, outgoing, making friends wherever he went, ‘keeping up’ with people, always on the move (though he did not like flying), doing ‘temporary supplies’ for priest-friends so that they could take their holidays, a man whose address book resembled a telephone directory. In the year of his death he was already planning a trip to America on the Queen Elizabeth II. But Gerard was much more than a likeable, helpful, individual with a great capacity for friendship. In his work in the Northern Nigerian Secretariat and as Education Supervisor, as also in his procuratorship in Rome, his ability for organization and administration was shown to advantage. He also had considerable skills with his hands, inherited no doubt from his father, excelling in masonry work, plumbing, and electricity. These skills were seen to full effect in the Sacred Heart Teacher Training College, Kaduna, and in St. Louis Hospital, Zonkwa. He also built a church for St. John’s College and for Our Lady’s, Independence Way, Kaduna; in addition he supervised the building of the first small office of the Catholic Secretariat. In Newark he showed toughness and resilience, the qualities of a pioneer, needed in this very difficult and taxing ministry. Gerry also had a quality of self-sufficiency and a strong sense of independence. He was much happier giving than receiving. He maintained these qualities intact to the end of his life.

He is buried in Wilton Cemetery.