Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 15 octobre 1912 à Blackpool dans le diocèse de Cork, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1933 prêtre le 20 décembre 1936 décédé le 29 mars 1985

1937-1966 missionnaire au Nigeria, diocèse de Kaduna 1966-1967 Ballinafad, professeur 1967-1972 Wilton, vice supérieur, directeur spirituel 1972-1982 Blackrock Road, Cork, chargé de l’église 1982-1985 Blackrock Road, Cork, retiré décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 29 mars 1985, à l'âge de 73 ans

Stephen Murphy was born at Seminary Buildings, Blackpool, in the North Parish of Cork diocese, on 15 October 1912. He died in the Bon Secours hospital, Cork, on 29 March 1985.

Stephen ('Steena') was educated at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1927 1928) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1928 193l) before entering the Society's novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in 193l. Two years later, on 2 July 1933, he was admitted to membership of the Society. He went to Dromantine, Co Down, for his theological formation and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 20 December 1936. He was one of a group of eighteen ordained on that day.

After ordination Stephen was assigned to northern Nigeria where he served in the Kaduna prefecture from 1937 1966. This prefecture had been erected three years earlier under the leadership of Thomas Hughes (later bishop of Ondo). Traditionally the Church in the north had relied heavily on Igbo Christians from the east who had come north with the railway line. At the time Stephen arrived in Kaduna Mgr. Hughes was vigorously developing a new policy of rooting the Church among the indigenous, Animist, population. In 1937 Bob Stitt was sent to one such area, Gawu (Gawun), where there was merely a handful of Catholic members and a single catechist. After three months in Minna, Stephen was appointed to work with Bob in this rural area. In June 1940 Stephen was transferred to Kano district, where the headquarters of the prefecture were located. Although Kano was the largest Islamic centre in Nigeria, it was also the largest mission in the prefecture, with 1,500 Catholic members and some 17 Catholic marriages annually, although it must be said that most of the members were immigrants from the east. Stephen remained in Kano for the remainder of his first tour of duty, until April 1943 when he managed to get a sea passage back to Ireland.

On his return to Nigeria in January 1945 John (Jack) McCarthy who had succeeded Mgr. Hughes as prefect, re-appointed Stephen to Gawun district where he was assisted first by Eric White and later by Michael Toner. In 1947 he was transferred to Minna district where he was to spend most of his subsequent missionary career. Missionaries had first visited Minna in 1918. This town, situated on the railway line, received its first residential missionary in 1932/1933, with the arrival of Robert Stitt. Formerly it had been an outstation of Kaduna. When Stephen took charge, there was a Catholic community of 1,142 members, with 60 catechumens, 6 catechists, 6 schools and an average of 24 Catholic marriages annually. Although Igbo members were in the majority the number of indigenous members was steadily increasing. Stephen returned to Minna after his next home leave remaining in charge of this station throughout most of his next three tours of duty. In 1961 Archbishop McCarthy asked him to establish a new parish at Kakuri, near Kaduna. Stephen's health began to give trouble at this time and he developed the parish (Our Lady of Apostles) while residing in the central mission at Kaduna.

In April 1966 Stephen was invalided home with cardiac problems. After a short convalescence, in September 1966 he took up a teaching post in Ballinafad. In February 1967 he came to Wilton as vice superior and confessor to the students. He spent the decade 1972 1982 attached to the public church at Blackrock Road where he was eventually to retire. For most of his years in Nigeria, Stephen ministered at Gawu and Minna and in the surrounding areas, working mainly with the Gbagi people. Niger Province became his second home. He was intimately involved in the work of development as a builder. He acquired a new plot in Minna where he was to build a fine church, mission house and schools. He also constructed the convent of the sisters of St. Louis and the diocesan headquarters for the bishop of Minna, Christopher Abba (Minna was first erected as a prefecture in November 1964. It became a diocese in 1973). He revelled in 'bush work', ministering in rural areas, founding new communities, building up outstations. When priests of St. Patrick's Missionary Society took over the work in Niger Province Stephen was appointed to St. Andrew's parish, Kaduna south.

Stephen was one of the characters of Kaduna diocese. All the stories about his activities, either historical or apocryphal could not be counted. He was one of the many confrères who developed a tremendous feeling for the people of Nigeria; under a thin veneer of toughness, he was an extremely soft-hearted person. He is remembered for his great faith and trust in Providence, also as a colleague who was light-hearted in company but serious about his mission work. He had great time for those who needed comforting. In his years of retirement he became a much-loved member of the community at Blackrock Road. There, as in Kaduna, Ballinafad and Wilton, his colleagues soon appreciated the deep spiritual and human qualities which made him such a sought-after confessor. He was a younger brother of Liam Murphy S.M.A. who predeceased him in 1971.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.