Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 10 juillet 1908 à Ballyhaunis dans le diocèse de Tuam, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1930 prêtre le 10 juin 1934 décédé le 9 février 1979

1934-1978 missionnaire au Nigeria 1934-1943, vicariat du Bénin, aujourd’hui Lagos 1943-1951, Ondo-Ilorin 1952-1972, Ondo 1972-1973, Ekiti 1973-1978, Ondo 1978-1979 Cork, hôpital décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 9 février 1979, à l'âge de 71 ans

Father Martin Francis KENNY (1908 - 1979)

Martin Kenny was born in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, in the archdiocese of Tuam, on l0 July 1908. He died in St. Patrick's hospital, Cork, on 9 February 1979.

Martin studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, (1924 1925) and at St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1925 1928), before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Two years later, on 2 July 1930, he was admitted to the Society and began his theological training at Dromantine, Co Down. He was ordained a priest, by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, in St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 10 June 1934. Sixteen classmates were ordained with Martin on that day, the largest class in the history of the Province up to that time.

After ordination Martin was appointed to the vicariate of the Bight of Benin, a jurisdiction in south western Nigeria comprising territory which today forms seven distinct dioceses. Martin was to play an important part in bringing about this extraordinary progress, during the 43 years he spent in the region. He came to the vicariate four years after it had been entrusted to the care of the Irish Province. His first appointment was to Abeokuta district where the superior was Patrick Hurst. When Fr. Hurst was transferred to Holy Cross cathedral mission, Martin became superior in Abeokuta. Martin spent the last eighteen months of his first tour (October 1934-January 1939) in Ado-Ekiti district, in a part of the vicariate where he was to spend most of his subsequent missionary career.

Martin returned to Nigeria in January 1940 and was posted to Oshogbo district. In June 1942 he was appointed to Ushi district, which had first been established in 1926 under the patronage of St. Joseph. In 1943, the western part of the vicariate (which had four resident missions) was detached and erected as a separate vicariate under Bishop Thomas Hughes. Martin was one of those incorporated into the new jurisdiction, named the vicariate of Ondo-Ilorin. Ushi was one of the districts included in the new vicariate and Martin remained on as superior there until he next went on leave in 1946. When he returned, in 1947, he continued in the same mission. In April 1950 the Ondo-Ilorin vicariate was erected as the diocese of Ondo and Martin was installed as the first parish priest of Ushi, a parish which now had a Catholic community in excess of 6,000, 57 outstations and a staff of three Fathers. Martin was to work in the diocese of Ondo until 1972. He was then seconded briefly to the newly formed diocese of Ekiti (detached from the old Ondo diocese). In 1973 he returned to Ondo diocese where he was to work until ill health forced him to retire from Africa in May 1977.

Martin had a long and distinguished missionary career. In the early 1940's he was the priest in charge of a huge area, spending over l5 years at Ushi Ekiti, walking and cycling for miles through the forests to build churches and schools in town after town. In 1950 he was nominated as a councillor to the first bishop of Ondo diocese, Thomas P. Hughes, and eight years later, in 1958, he was appointed vicar general to his successor, William Field. Together with Bishop Field he laboured for the next 20 years to extend the Church in the diocese of Ondo, building numerous churches, schools, hospitals and clinics, and creating Catholic communities.

Martin was possessed of exceptional strength of character. In his youth he had been a formidable full-back in football, and he brought the same qualities to his work in adult life. He was a rugged, strong-minded missionary, in the old mould, who gave strong leadership and did not brook opposition. His abilities were widely recognised by his colleagues who elected him their delegate to the Provincial Assembly of 1958. Martin spent the last year of his life ministering in the archdiocese of Tuam, in Ballyhaunis, until ill health intensified. He was admitted to the Bon Secours hospital, Cork, on 26 November 1978 and was transferred to St. Patrick's hospital, in the following January.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.