Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande

Le frère Michael Henry McKENNA (1902 - 1942)

Le 16 février 1942, à Cork, retour à Dieu du cher frère Michael Mac Kenna, à l'âge de 39 ans.

Il était né le 21 décembre 1902 dans le diocèse d'Armagh, en Irlande. A plus de 30 ans, il entrait aux Missions Africaines et fit le serment le 6 mai 1937. Il fut alors nommé à Cork en notre maison de Blackrock Road. Il ne put y servir Dieu et ses confrères que pendant cinq années à peine.

Brother Michael Henry McKenna (1902 - 1942)

Michael McKenna was born in Cregganduff, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, in the archdiocese of Armagh, on 21 December 1902. He died at Cork, in the Bon Secours hospital, on l6 February 1942.

Michael studied at Cregganduff National school from 1907 1915 and some years later emigrated to the U.S.A. He spent five years in the city of New York and then, deciding to become a priest, he entered St. Benedict's college, Atchison, Kansas, in 1927. However, after two years of study he contracted scarlet fever and rheumatism, and was no longer able to continue with his studies.

In 193l he returned to Ireland and in the following year (he was now 30 years old) applied to join the S.M.A. as a brother. It took a further two years before Michael was admitted to the Society's novitiate at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. After three years in the west, he came south to the Irish mother house, at Blackrock Road, Cork, where on 6 May 1937 he received his perpetual oath of membership and where he was to spend the remaining five years of life left to him.

At this time Blackrock Road was not only the seat of the Provincial administration but was also the rest home for priests returning from Africa as well as the starting point for those setting out. Michael devoted himself to caring for priests in broken health and to providing for the needs of those who called to the house on their way to Africa. In the years before his death he also took on the responsibility of house sacristan. His obituary in the African Missionary recorded that 'Brother Michael brought to his work the healthy tonic of splendid spirits and that rare thing, a hearty laugh.' He died after being sick for a little over a year. He was buried on Ash Wednesday. He was a brother of Patrick McKenna, S.M.A., who ministered in Liberia. Another brother, James was a priest in the U.S.A.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.