Société des Missions Africaines – Province des Etars-Unis

né le 11 février 1901 à Mayo Abbey dans le diocèse de Tuam (Irlande) membre de la SMA le 22 juillet 1920 prêtre le 14 juin 1924 décédé le 26 septembre 1947

1924-1943 missionnaire en Nigeria occidentale 1943-1946 missionnaire au vicariat de Ondo-Ilorin 1947 délégué à l’Assemblée générale élu conseiller général décédé à Chicago, USA, le 26 septembre 1947, à l’âge de 46 ans

A Chicago (U.S.A.), le 26 septembre 1947, retour à Dieu du père Valentine Barnicle, à l'âge de 46 ans.

Valentine Barnicle naquit à Mayo-Abbey, dans le diocèse de Tuam (Irlande), en 1901. Il fit ses études dans les maisons de la province d'Irlande. Il fit le serment en 1920 et fut ordonné prêtre en juin 1924.

Le père Barnicle partait peu après pour le vicariat de la Nigeria Occidentale. En 1943, il était attaché au nouveau vicariat d'Ondo Ilorin.

Délégué à l'assemblée générale de 1947, il y fut élu conseiller général. Au cours des vacances, il partit pour les Etats-Unis. Il visitait des membres de sa famille à Chicago, quand il mourut d'une attaque subite.

Father Valentine Patrick BARNICLE (1901 - 1947)

Valentine Barnicle was born in the parish of Mayo Abbey, Co Mayo, in the archdiocese of Tuam, on 11 February 1901. He died, unexpectedly, while visiting his brother in Chicago, U.S.A., on 26 September 1947.

In September 1914 Valentine (Val) entered the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, a few miles from his own home. A year later he commenced his senior cycle secondary studies at St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork, completing them in 1918. In the autumn of that year he entered the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, a member of the first class to study in that house. Val was admitted to membership of the Society on 22 July 1920. He then came to the Society's theological seminary at Blackrock Road, Cork. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Daniel Cohalan of Cork diocese, in St. Joseph's church, adjoining the seminary, on 14 June 1924. He was 23 years old, below the canonical age, and required a dispensation for his ordination. He was one of a group of eleven ordained on that day.

Barely three months later Val set out for West Africa where he was assigned to the vicariate of Western Nigeria. He was to serve in this jurisdiction until 1943 when he became a founding member of the Ondo-Ilorin vicariate. The Western Nigeria vicariate had been established in 1918 and was entrusted to the Irish Province as its second mission (the first, Liberia, was given to the Province on its foundation in May 1912). Thomas Broderick, from Kerry, was vicar apostolic and bishop of the jurisdiction, a man who at the time of his consecration was the youngest bishop in the universal church (36 years). Val's first appointment was to Agenebode, where Jerome Sheehan was superior. This station, founded in 1897, had over 300 catholic members and 170 catechumens. One of the secondary stations from Agenebode was Ivianokpodi, where the minor seminary for the vicariate was located. In addition to his pastoral duties, Val took charge of this seminary which had five students. Val quickly impressed his superiors with his zeal and his administrative ability, especially through his work in the seminary.

When, therefore, Bishop Broderick decided that the time had come to establish a major seminary, he selected Val to start the project. Accordingly, in 1927 Val opened an institution for the teaching of classics at Asaba, beginning with 15 students; two years later some of these were ready to commence philosophy. This institution, which was transferred to Benin City in 1938, is regarded as the beginning of Saints Peter and Paul's major seminary. This important seminary was re-located to Ibadan in 1956 and for decades served all dioceses in the south, west and north of Nigeria. Val was also the founding principal of St. Thomas' teacher training college, at Ibusa (opened in 1928) which subsequently became one of the most important educational institutions in western Nigeria, supplying large numbers of highly trained and highly motivated teachers for the vicariate's elementary schools.

In 1933 Bishop Broderick died. His successor, Leo Hale Taylor, placed Val in charge of Benin City mission, where he was assisted by Tom Bartley and John Sweeney (and later Sexton Cahill). This was a relatively new station, founded in 1928. However it was clearly a centre of great importance. By 1934 it had 680 Catholics, 1,200 catechumens, 44 churches, 29 schools, and some 50 secondary stations. It was hardly surprising that as one of his last acts before his translation to the vicariate of Lagos, Bishop Taylor moved the headquarters of the vicariate from Asaba to Benin City. And Val was intimately involved in these developments, not only in building up the mission, but in preparing for the move. He wrote to the Provincial, Stephen Harrington, in March 1938, 'Benin is growing in importance. The bishop has built his new seminary here and his house, and is residing here at the moment with a view to making this city his headquarters. With his permission and benediction, I have started a 'cathedral fund'. I have canvassed the local people, and the response has been simply full of promise'.

Patrick J. Kelly, who succeeded Bishop Taylor in 1939, was well aware of Val's reputation as an educationalist and administrator and when he returned from his episcopal ordination in Ireland, in 1940, he appointed Val supervisor of catholic schools, a critical post which required him to liaise with government and to deal with all aspects of the vicariate's educational apostolate. Val spent four years in this demanding work, during which he lived in Benin City. In 1943 the Ondo and Ilorin regions of the vicariate of the Bight of Benin, in south western Nigeria, were detached and erected as a separate jurisdiction. Val was appointed to the new vicariate, where Thomas P. Hughes, the vicar apostolic, appointed him to Oka district. The principal station, Oka, had been established in 1917 and when Val took charge it was a thriving centre with almost 3,000 catholic members and some 30 secondary stations.

In May 1947 Valentine was elected representative of his Irish confreres in western Nigeria to the General Assembly of that year. At the Assembly he was appointed to the Superior General's council. And it was while on a holiday with relatives in the U.S.A., before taking up this appointment in Rome, that he died. Val was only 46 years old when he went to meet his Maker. During the 22 years he spent in western Nigeria he made an invaluable contribution to establishing the Church. His death was a great loss to the young vicariate of Ondo-Ilorin. He was a relation of Valentine Hynes who was ordained a priest for the S.M.A. in 1970.

He is buried in Chicago, U.S.A.