Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 25 octobre 1903 à Kilrush dans le diocèse de Killaloe, Irlande membre de la SMA le 8 juillet 1925 prêtre le 9 juin 1929 décédé le 27 mars 1984

1929-1967 missionnaire au Nigeria 1929-1945, vicariat du Bénin 1946-1950, vicariat de Lagos pro vicaire de 1946 à 1948 et en 1950 1951-1967, archidiocèse de Lagos vicaire général de 1951 à 1966 1974-1984 Blackrock Road, Cork, retiré décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 27 mars 1984, à l'âge de 80 ans

Father James Vincent YOUNG (1903 - 1984)

James Young was born at Kilrush, Co Clare, in the diocese of Killaloe, on 25 October 1903. He died in the S.M.A. house at Blackrock Road, Cork, on 27 March 1984.

James (Jim) grew up in West Clare. He studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1920 192l) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (192l 1923), before joining the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in the autumn of 1923. He received his theological formation first at St. Joseph's seminary, Blackrock Road (until 1926) and then, with the transfer of the seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down from 1926 1929. Jim was received as a member of the Society on 8 July 1925 and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 9 June 1929. He was one of a class of fifteen ordained on that day.

After ordination Jim was appointed to the vicariate of the Bight of Benin in south western Nigeria. Jim was to serve in this jurisdiction until 1968. Shortly after his arrival (he sailed on the M.V. Adda), on 31 March 1930 Francis O'Rourke was nominated vicar apostolic, and the jurisdiction was entrusted to the care of the Irish Province. Jim's first appointment, was to Topo, an island off Badagry, which had a mission, boarding school and coconut plantation. Copra (the dried fruit of the coconut) was harvested by the older boys in the school and sold to cosmetic companies for the making of soap. It was an important source of income for the vicariate. After five months in Topo Jim was appointed to the staff of St. Gregory's college, Ikoyi, Nigeria's first Catholic secondary college. There he taught the lower forms. After six months in this prestigious school Jim was transferred to Oshogbo where, under the guidance of the superior, Jakob Imholz, he had his first experience of outstations. During the remaining two years of his first tour of duty he ministered in Ado-Ekiti, Oyo and Ibadan.

On his return to Nigeria after his first home leave, in May 1933, Jim was appointed to Effon. Six months later he was posted superior of Ado-Ekiti mission where he was to spend the remaining three and a half years of his second tour. In his 'memoirs', preserved in the archives of the Irish Province, Jim records that when he first came to Ado-Ekiti 'the congregation was very small, composed of Yorubas, mainly, and a handful of Igbos. The church was pretty poor, the house was shocking. The school wasn't too bad. It was an assisted school... Outstations were very important. Fr. (Phil) Corish, then superior, and myself made harvest in eighty-four outstations and there were buildings in most. At that time we went up near Ilorin. Akure and its outstations were also under Ado. So we spent much of our time on trek. You went out for perhaps a month at a time'. Ado-Ekiti is now the seat of Ekiti diocese while Akure is the headquarters of Ondo diocese.

When Jim returned from his next home leave, in June 1938, he was posted to Abeokuta, capital of the Egbas. In 1939 Leo Hale Taylor became vicar apostolic (on the death of Bishop O'Rourke). Four years later the borders of the vicariate were re-defined and the jurisdiction was re-named the 'vicariate of Lagos'. Bishop Taylor brought Jim to Lagos to serve as his pro-vicar, or deputy in 1943. Jim resided at Holy Cross mission, the 'cathedral parish', where he was administrator. He was to serve as pro vicar until 1948 and as vicar general of the archdiocese (erected in April 1950) between 195l 1966. Jim discharged his functions while holding substantive pastoral appointments in Topo, Holy Cross mission, Ibadan, Ijebu-Ode and Lafiaji. On a number of occasions, when Archbishop Taylor was out of the country, or unwell, Jim served as vicar delegatus, carrying out the bishop's functions.

In 1968, after almost forty years service in Nigeria, Jim came to work in the Provincial headquarters at Blackrock Road, in which house he was to retire from 1974. During the summers between 1975-1983 he did chaplaincy work in the Vincent de Paul holiday home (Ozanam House) at Mornington, Co Meath. Jim was a quiet, purposeful man, steadfast in the service of duty, who took his many responsible appointments in his stride. He was also self-effacing and it was not generally known that during his missionary career he was on three occasions among those whose names were sent to Rome for nomination as bishop. He was a younger brother of Frank Young who was ordained for the Society in 1924 and died in 1932.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.