Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 16 juin 1912 à Newry dans le diocèse de Dromore (Irlande) membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1933 prêtre le 20 décembre 1936 évêque le 20 décembre 1960 décédé le 10 octobre 1980

1937-1950 missionnaire au Liberia, vicariat de Monrovia 1950-1960 premier préfet apostolique de Cape Palmas 1960-1976 vicaire apostolique de Cape Palmas 1961 internonce apostolique au Liberia 1964 nommé archevêque titulaire de Gabula 1966 pro nonce apostolique à Monrovia 1971 délégué apostolique pour la Gambie et le Sierra Leone 1976 démissionne du siège de Monrovia reste pro nonce à Monrovia, démissionne en 1979 1979-1980 retiré à Tenafly décédé à Newry, Irlande, le 10 octobre 1980, à l'âge de 68 ans

Francis Carroll was born in Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland, in the diocese of Dromore, on June 16, l912. He died at the family home, 7l Castle St., Newry, on October 10, l980.

Francis (Frank) was the son of Patrick and Mary Carroll. He attended the local Christian Brothers School in Newry for his primary education (1916-24). He commenced his secondary education with the Christian Brothers in Newry but in 1927, deciding to become a missionary priest, he entered the Society’s junior secondary college, the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, and a year later was promoted to the senior school, St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork, graduating in June 1931. In the autumn of that year he entered the Society’s novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Frank was admitted as a member of the Society on July 2, l933 and studied theology in the major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down (near his home), until June l937. Frank was ordained a priest in St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, on December 20, 1936. He was one of a group of eighteen ordained on that day.

Frank was to have a distinguished missionary career. Appointed to the Liberian mission immediately after ordination, and occupying many senior positions subsequently, including that of bishop of a diocese and Vatican diplomatic representative, he was to play a major role in shaping the Church and in mediating Church-State relationships in the region. When Frank arrived in Liberia in October 1937 Bishop John Collins, the vicar apostolic, appointed him to the Monrovia district. Attempts to establish the Church in Monrovia had been made on four separate occasions in the 19th and early 20th century, before roots were set down in 1921. Nonetheless the Church was far less developed in the capital than on the Kru Coast (some 200 east of Monrovia), which was the cradle of Liberian Catholicism. Frank joined a missionary staff of five members serving the principal station of Monrovia, a second residential station at Kekru, and five outstations. From the outset Frank became deeply involved in the educational apostolate, opening schools, supervising their management, keeping a watchful eye on academic standards and liasing with the government education department. He soon won a reputation in both missionary and government circles for his achievement. Indeed, in 1946 he was conferred with the 'Star of Africa' decoration by President William Tubman, in recognition of his work for education. In October 1946 Frank became superior of Bassa district, about 70 miles east of Monrovia.

In 1950 the Holy See decided to divide the vicariate of Liberia into two separate jurisdictions, namely the vicariate of Monrovia and the prefecture of Cape Palmas. Frank was nominated prefect apostolic, and established his headquarters in the town of Cape Palmas on the Kru Coast. He was to serve as leader of the Church in this area for a decade. In December l960 Frank was named vicar apostolic of Monrovia and was consecrated bishop on 21 May l96l in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, by Pope John XXlll (two months after the death of his predecessor, Bishop John Collins); he was also named apostolic inter nuncio to Liberia. In March l966 he was appointed apostolic pro nuncio to Liberia with the title of archbishop. In January l97l he was given the additional post of apostolic delegate to Gambia and Sierra Leone. With increasing ill health Frank began to relinquish some of his responsibilities in the mid l970's. In February l976 he resigned his responsibilities as bishop and had the joy of seeing a Liberian succeed him (Michael Kpakala Francis, who was nominated bishop of the vicariate on October 28, 1976). Frank remained on as pro nuncio; his duties in this capacity were made less onerous when Gambia and Sierra Leone were detached from the Monrovian delegation and re assigned to the Ghana apostolic delegation. Finally, in April l979, no longer able to remain in Liberia because of ill-health, the Pope accepted Frank’s resignation as pro nuncio and he retired to the SMA house, Tenafly, New Jersey, USA.

Frank's seemingly effortless achievements as prefect apostolic of Cape Palmas between l950 l96l were accomplished in the face of considerable obstacles. Liberia was the first territory to be entrusted to the Irish Province on its foundation in l9l2. It was to prove one of the most intransigent missions in West Africa. Before the SMA came to the region (in l906) three previous efforts to set down roots, conducted by other missionary agencies, had failed. The SMA succeeded in establishing a firm base, but progress was slow. Liberia was an impoverished country with a dispersed population, simmering political unrest, poor communications, and a virtual absence of medical facilities. It was a country where Protestantism of a virulent anti-Catholic strain was strongly established. The difficult climate Liberia was the original 'Whiteman's Grave' situated only a few degrees from the equator and the isolation to which missionaries were subjected exacted a heavy toll on the members of the Irish Province. Frank took charge of a mission staff largely composed of young and inexperienced priests. His jurisdiction, on the Kru Coast, was accessible only by sea and was the least developed region in that underdeveloped republic. Yet through his energetic and outgoing personality, his excellent relations both with the indigenous population and with the Americo Liberian government led by President Tubman, his clear conception of what he wished to achieve, his skill in obtaining funds and his exceptional capacity to 'get things done', he succeeded in transforming the moribund coastal mission of l95l into the thriving, vigorous mission of l958. He could also be said to have transformed the social and educational profile of the coastal region. Frank's achievements when he became bishop at Monrovia were no less impressive. By the same token his skills as a diplomat were of inestimable value when he served as Vatican representative and apostolic delegate; indeed they were to be sadly missed in the years after his death when Liberia entered a period of great crisis.

As prefect apostolic and bishop, Frank was particularly concerned to develop the educational and medical apostolate; preoccupation’s which were greatly appreciated in a country with little resources and with so few educational or medical facilities. While Frank's contribution to these sectors was immense, three ventures will ever stand out as lasting monuments to his quiet but persevering efforts the Catholic hospital, the Dogliotti college of medicine, and the Arthur Barclay vocational training centre. Frank was to receive wide recognition within Liberia for his lifetime's work. He was decorated four times by the Liberian government for outstanding services to the nation in education, health, social welfare and evangelism. And he closed that outstanding career of forty two years in the position of doyen of the diplomatic corps.

In August l980 Frank suffered a heart attack at Tenafly. Following his convalescence, he returned home to Newry where he died. An obituary by a senior colleague records: 'A missionary in Liberia for forty two years... when Archbishop Carroll retired he was beyond question the foreigner who knew more Liberians from all walks of life and all social classes than anyone else. For more than forty years he had worked to promote education in Liberia at elementary, secondary and university level. He took particular interest in the poor and the sick, establishing throughout the country orphanages, clinics and the Catholic hospital. His door was always open not only to diplomats and Liberian government officials but to all. For those who were poor and without advocates he arranged for scholarships and found jobs for them through his contacts with business leaders. He gave particular attention to youth. His SMA confreres will particularly remember the warm welcome one received from him and the sympathetic understanding he showed for the problems of each one. In a country where Catholics are only a small minority he made the role and position of the Church appreciated by all. He leaves behind the memory of a man of deep faith who had a great love for the people of Liberia'.

He is buried in St. Mary's cemetery, Newry, Co Down, Ireland.