St Joseph's Advocate Ireland

AdvocateSpring2016Edition:Layout109/02/201611:52Page1

‘Mission Prayer’ – The light of Jesus

by Blessed John Henry Newman

Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.

Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may be a radiance of Yours.

Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.

Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,

so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.

It will be You, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You in the way which You love best,

by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by my words

but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,

the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You. Amen.


Spring 2016 Volume 56 No. 1

Mill Hill MissionariesSt. Joseph’sWaterford Road, Kilkenny.Tel: (056) 7721482Office: [email protected]

Mill Hill Missionaries

50 Orwell Park

Rathgar, Dublin 6

Tel: (01) 4127700E.mail: [email protected]

St Mary’s Parish

25 Marquis Street

Belfast BT1 1JJ

Tel: 04890 320482

ST JOSEPH’S ADVOCATEPublished by: Mill Hill Missionaries

Editor: Fr. Jim O’Connell.

Printed in Ireland by: Modern Printers, Kilkenny.

CONTENTS

Editorial 2

In the Land of Kom, Camroon 4

God’s Mercy - Hymn 7

Message from General Superior 8

Mill Hill Celebrating 150 Years 10

Novena to St. Joseph details 15

Nine Day Novena to St. Joseph 16

Mill Hill Jubilees 2016 18

My Former Students 21

Outdoor Stations of the Cross 24

A Fantastic Choir 26

Pandipieri Health Programme 28

‘Painted Butterflies’ - Book 31

Obituaries 32

Advocate

MISSION OFFERINGS

All Postal Orders and Cheques to be sent direct to us at

Mill Hill Missionaries, Waterford Road, Kilkenny.

All Bank Giros to be sent direct to

Bank of Ireland, Parliament St., Kilkenny A/c No. 10914412. Sort Code: 906064

Front Cover: . Fr. Philip O’Halloran and Sr. Margaret Tambasi (right) with some of

the group at the Mill Hill Formation Centre in Luanda, Kenya.

Inside Front Cover: . Mission Prayer

Back Cover: . Photo: Daniel Foley

Photo Credits: . F. Eppink, J. Boerkamp, B. Fox, F. Hannaway, Sr. N. McGrath


2

Celebrating 150 years ofMissionary Workwith St. Joseph asPatron and Protector

Readers of St. Joseph’s Advo-

cate know us as the Mill Hill Mission-

aries. The name goes right back to 1866

when Fr. Herbert Vaughan (later Cardi-

nal Archbishop of Westminster) founded

our Missionary Society in a place called

Mill Hill, located in North West Lon-

don. But our official title is ‘St. Joseph’s

Missionary Society’.

St. Joseph featured in a big way in

those early days, with the College for

the students in Mill Hill being called

after him and a very large statue of St.

Joseph stood (still stands) on a high

tower that can be seen for miles around

that area of North London.

As students we were told that the view

from the tower was breath-taking. Un-

fortunately, we were not allowed to

climb to the top because the stairs were

no longer safe. But we were very aware

that the 12 feet high statue of St. Joseph

reigned over the College itself and also

dominated the landscape.

This of course reflected Herbert

Vaughan’s devotion to St. Joseph and

the fact that he looked to him as the pa-

tron and protector of his new Mission-

ary Society in 1866. He also saw him as

a model for missionary work.

He wrote of St. Joseph being

‘the first missionary’ when he

took the Child Jesus and his

mother Mary into the land of

Egypt. The official seal of our

Missionary Society shows St.

Joseph leading Mary with her

Child on that first ‘mission’ to a foreign

land.

‘The Person and Mission of St. Joseph’

In 1989 St. John Paul II issued a doc-

ument ‘On the Person and Mission of St.

Joseph in the life of Christ and the

Church.’ He stressed that the example of

St. Joseph encourages us to a “renewed

commitment to Evangelisation in the

world. He serves as a model for the en-

tire Christian community, whatever the

condition and duties of its members.”

Pope Benedict spoke about St. Joseph

as an example and model of love of

Jesus and Mary, stressing the help and

protection he offers to us in our daily

lives, especially with the problems we

encounter: “If discouragement over-

whelms you, think of the faith of

Joseph. If anxiety has its grip on you,

think of the hope of Joseph. If exasper-

ation or hatred seizes you, think of the

love of Joseph, who was the first man to

set eyes on the human face of God in the

person of the infant conceived by the

Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin

Mary. Let us praise and thank Christ for

Fr. Jim O’Connell,mhm

FFRROOMM TTHHEE EEDDIITTOORR

2


having drawn so close to us, and for giv-

ing us Joseph as an example and model

of love for him.”

St. Joseph patron and protector

Pope Francis has continued to speak

about St. Joseph in the manner of his

predecessors. His inaugural Mass was

celebrated on the Feast of St. Joseph, at

which he stressed that “Saint Joseph ex-

ercised his role as ‘protector’ of Jesus

and Mary by hearing God’s voice and

being guided by God’s will in his daily

life. He did this with fidelity, goodness

and tenderness, as a strong and coura-

geous man, a working man, yet in his heart

we see great tenderness …”

Thus the recent Popes have been call-

ing us back to what Herbert Vaughan

did in his day, when he presented St.

Joseph as the patron and protector of his

missionaries and as an example for peo-

ple in ordinary daily living.

In 2016, as the Mill Hill Missionaries

celebrate 150 years of Missionary Serv-

ice, we renew our devotion to St. Joseph

and seek his powerful intercession to

help us in our commitment to mission-

ary work in today’s world.

The Novena to St. Joseph gives us a

good opportunity to reflect and pray in

gratitude for what has been and also to

pray for the new developments that are

taking place as we now have over 70

Mill Hill priests and 150 students from

Africa and Asia. Our Missionary work

continues with the guidance of the Spirit

and St. Joseph remains our model and

example, our patron and protector.

The Logo in this picture combinesthe names ‘Mill Hill Missionaries’

and ‘St. Joseph’s Missionary Society.’ It presents Mary with the Child Jesus and Joseph withthe staff as the protector of Jesus

and Mary. In faint print in the picture you can also read the Mill Hill Motto in Latin and in English: ‘Amare et Servire’ -

‘To love and to serve’

3


4

Gerald is celebrating his Silver

Jubilee this year. He spent twenty

years in Cameroon, living and

working in 8 different missions and

institutions in the Archdiocese of

Bamenda. In this article he

describes how he ventured into

the Land of Kom and soon found

himself back there in Fundong

Parish, where he spent some time.

REFLECTING on the past 25years, the following wordsof Pope Francis give me an

incentive to expound a little onsome of my experiences: “Jesusteaches us another way: Go out.Go out and share yourtestimony, go out and interactwith your brothers, go out andshare, go out and ask. Becomethe Word in body as well asspirit.” (Pope Francis)

During my time as Vocations promoter

in Cameroon I embarked on a venture in

Fr. Gerald with Fr. Abner (left) and Fr. Cyprian from Fundong Parish who had just

been ordained, celebrating with some people from Fondong parish.

IN THE LAND OF KOM, CAMEROON


5

Fr. Dominic, first Parish Priest of Ilung parish, visiting a school in Ilung.

Kom land which would later account for

a considerable part of my time in

Cameroon. At the end of November 2003

I accompanied Fr Michael Yuh PP and

Sr. Electa, a Franciscan Sister to a remote

pastoral zone in Fundong parish. The

purpose of the journey was to fulfil the

normal pastoral visitation and to offi-

cially open and bless two outreach

Health Clinics in Ilung and Achain.

These mission stations were situated ap-

proximately 40 kms from the main mis-

sion.

An excerpt from a letter Iwrote home for Christmas 2003

“The scenery on route to Ilung and

Achain was absolutely breath taking.

High mountains, deep valleys and water-

falls as far as the eye could see. That’s

the good bit! I have never travelled on

such bad roads for a long time. There has

been no road construction, not to men-

tion, road maintenance for years. Some

stretches of the road were footpaths,

which had been converted into some-

thing resembling a road. It appeared that

the road surfaces were dried up river

beds. In some places huge boulders were

sticking up waiting to catch the axel of

our four wheel drive vehicle. Forceful

driving was required to climb and nego-

tiate the difficult and rocky patches. I

didn’t think it was possible to drive on

such atrocious roads.

However I was an occasional traveller

visiting the area. The local population en-

counters this reality all year round. You

could excuse the inhabitants of Achain

and Ilung areas for feeling that they have

been abandoned and forgotten about by

the outside world and the local authori-

ties. The setting up and staffing of Health

Clinics will go some way to alleviate the

sufferings of the local population. De-

spite their harsh existence, people are

happy and appreciate the efforts that are

been made to help them. The local peo-

ple also made their own contributions in

getting these projects off the ground.


Now, there are resident health workers to

treat the sick and maternity services to

facilitate the safe delivery of infants. It’s

not so long ago, since seriously ill pa-

tients were carried on stretchers 60 kms

to the Catholic Mission Hospital in

Njinikom for medical attention. Some-

times it was too late, particularly in the

case of pregnant women and young chil-

dren. More medical equipment is needed,

but things will be built up slowly. My

friends in Ireland may consider at some

stage to be of assistance in future to assist

these people. When I finish my present

job in Vocations promotion, I would like

to minister in this area. However that’s

put on the long finger for now….. “

Back in the Land of Kom

In July 2004 I did go back to Kom

Land, to Fundong parish, along with Fr

Abner Dimo from the Philippines and Fr

Christopher Hancock from Wales as part

of a Mill Hill Missionary team. As well

as the main centre Fundong the parish

had 30 mission stations, many situated

in remote areas such as the ones de-

scribed in the excerpt above. An ad-

vanced driving qualification would be a

bonus for tackling the road infrastruc-

ture. I was no longer sitting in my perch

but I was behind the wheel of the four

wheel drive vehicle. However, some of

these missions could be reached only on

foot and on arrival all the home comforts

such as electricity and running water

were non-existent. The kerosene lamp

became a very important piece of equip-

ment. It was my light. Babies are born,

families share their stories and meals,

children do their homework and prepare

for exams, parish pastoral councils and

small Christian communities hold their

meetings with the help of this simple

lamp. The Liturgy of Light during the

Easter Vigil comes to life when lamps are

lit from the Paschal Candle and the

Christian community proceed into

church for the Proclamation of the Exsul-

tet.

Aspiring Cameroonian candidates

came to Fundong parish to be orientated

in the Mill Hill Missionary way of life

before being accepted for Formation in

Bamenda. Later, some of our theology

students from Nairobi, Kenya, did their

two years mission pastoral experience in

the parish. Fundong parish was divided

in July 2011 and St Therese Quasi Parish

Ilung was created with Fr Dominic Nya-

choti MHM from Kenya as its pioneer

Parish Priest. Fr. Tiberius Vuni from

Uganda is Parish Priest in Fonfuka. Mill

Hill’s presence and its commitment to

minister and live among the people of

Kom continues with the new generation

of Mill Hill priests from Kenya and

Uganda.

6


7

“There’s a wideness in God’s mercy.........”

by Fr. F. W. Faber

(Composer of “Faith Of Our Fathers”)

There's a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea:

There's a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth's sorrows are more felt than up in heaven.

There is no place where earth's failings have such kind judgements given.

For the love of God is broader than the measure of man's mind,

And the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind.

But we make his love too narrow by false limits of our own:

And we magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own:

If our love were but more simple, we should take him at his word,

And our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of Our Lord.

As a reminder that we are celebrating “A Holy Year of Mercy”

we reprint the following hymn.


8

LAST JUNE the Mill HillMissionaries gathered atChigwell, England for the 18th

General Chapter of the Society.Mill Hill Missionaries from all partsof our Mill Hill world cametogether to raise, reflect upon,discuss, and make decisionsupon the issues that will give ourMill Hill Society direction and lifefor the next five years leading usto a renewed dedication to ourmissionary calling of lovingservice to those in greatestneed.

The Chapter delegates also chose a

new General Council to lead the Society

for the next five years. I was elected

General Superior and bring to the role a

wide experience of mission having spent

over twenty years in East Africa, in par-

ticular Uganda. Fr. Des McGillicuddy

also hails from Ireland and in recent

weeks had to bring closure to his min-

istry in Brazil having been elected to the

General Council. For the first time in our

history as a Society we welcomed whole

heartedly members from Africa and Asia

onto the General Council. A clear shift

from the origins of our Mill Hill Society.

Fr. Andrew Mukulu from Uganda work-

ing as a missionary in Cameroon and Fr.

Jimmy Lindero from The Philippines

working as a missionary in Pakistan were

both elected to the General Council. We

rejoice.

In all our deliberations the Chapter

used the message of Pope Francis ‘Joy to

the World’ as our blueprint. The Pope has

called us to ‘Wake up the world’. This

call to wake up the world is not just about

making news headlines. It is not like a

message proclaimed anonymously for

anyone to hear or ignore. It always in-

volves encounter and personal contact

alongside the people of our times in their

own struggles in life especially those on

the edge.

Without wanting to boast I do believe

that as Mill Hill Missionaries we have

since our foundation in 1866 endeav-

oured to journey with people in their dif-

ferent situations in life all over the world.

We have what it needs to rise to the chal-

lenges of our times.

I was privileged to be able to go out to

Africa as a missionary and work among

the people in Uganda entrusted to my

pastoral care. Not all of us can do that as

we have families, commitments and

roots in our home countries but that does

not make us less missionary. Many peo-

ple rooted in mission have never left their

Message from our General Superior -

Fr. Michael Corcoran, mhm

As Mill Hill Missionaries

we have since our

foundation endeavoured

to journey with people


9

home countries and have been a tremen-

dous support to those on mission. Our

Mill Hill supporters in Ireland over so

many years have been involved in mis-

sion right where you are through your

prayers and monies raised for various

projects - reaching out in partnership to

peoples far from your shores needing

your help. As part of the wider Mill Hill

Family in Ireland you are continuing to

act together in mission as God is calling

all of us to be people in mission – wher-

ever we are. Mission is not someone

else’s job; it’s mine where we all connect

locally and globally. As a Mill Hill Soci-

ety we cherish the support and encour-

agement which we receive from you our

Friends and Supporters as it enables us

to make a difference in the lives of peo-

ple.

I, together with the members of the

General Council, ask for your prayers

and blessing as we embark on the task of

guiding our Mill Hill Society in these dif-

ficult and challenging times in our world.

I assure you and your families of my own

prayers and the prayers of our Mill Hill

Members around the world.

There will be a special Mass at West-

minster Cathedral to celebrate 150 years

of loving service of the Mill Hill Mis-

sionaries (1866-2016). This concele-

brated Eucharist of Thanksgiving with

Cardinal Vincent Nichols is to take place

on the Solemnity of the Feast of St.

Joseph, Saturday 19th March 2016 at

12.30 pm.Every Blessing, Fr. Michael

Corcoran, MHM, General Superior

[Fr. Michael is from Galmoy, Co.

Kilkenny, and was Irish Regional before

he became General Superior.]

In the centre, our new General Superior Fr. Michael Corcoran from Kilkenny, with

his predecessor Fr. Tony Chantry from England on his left and another former

General Superior, Fr. Jacques Hetsen from the Netherlands, on his right.


ON THE 28th February 1866,Fr. Herbert Vaughan sent ahorse drawn cart from the

Oblates of St. Charles House inBayswater, Central London, toHolcombe House, Mill Hill, inNorth West London ‘with a fewblankets, chairs and bedsteadsfor the night’. Fr. Vaughanhimself accompanied by anotherpriest and a student travelledthe nine mile journey by cart

later on in the day and arrivedthat night in a snowstorm.

Fr. Vaughan wrote later, ‘We began in

real poverty – six mugs, or rather college

pudding basins for our tea, and borrowed

a few chairs and plates. We started that

night with reading at supper The Life of

St. Joseph’. The beginnings were simple,

but Fr. Vaughan had made preparations

for the foundation of a ‘College for the

Foreign Missions’.

By the date of the official opening

with a Mass, attended by Archbishop

10


This is a photo of a painting by Sr. Janet, SND.

It is in Mill Hill House, Nairobi, and depicts

Cardinal Vaughan (top right) and various

MHMs involved in Missionary work.

11

Manning, on 19th March 1866, the Feast of

St. Joseph, Holcombe House, Mill Hill, on

several acres of land, was bought and paid

for. In a few years Holcombe House was too

small and St. Joseph’s College was built on

the Mill Field, adjacent to Holcombe House.

Though not fully completed, the College

was opened on 1st. March 1871; thirty-four

students took up residence there. By then the

first priest from the College for Foreign

Missions had already been ordained; he was

an Irishman - Cornelius Dowling from Bal-

lyhooly, Fermoy, County Cork, was or-

dained in London on 27th December 1869.

The first four missionaries, including Fr.

Dowling, were sent to Baltimore, in Mary-

land, USA, in November 1871, where they

ministered to the African Americans.

The appointment of Fr. Herbert Vaughan

as Bishop of Salford in 1872 meant that he

was away from the College, but he contin-

ued to be the superior of the Missionary So-

ciety and it was never absent from his care;

he sent an experienced priest from Salford,

Canon Peter Benoit, to be the Rector of St.

Joseph’s College, Mill Hill. The College

prospered and became the headquarters of

St. Joseph’s Society for Foreign Missions.

By the turn of the century Mill Hill had

apostolic schools or minor seminaries in

England, the Netherlands and in the Tyrol.

Missions were accepted in India (Madras),

Borneo and among the Maoris in New

Zealand; in the last decade of the nineteenth

century missionaries were sent to East

Africa (Uganda and Kenya).

Bishop Vaughan became Archbishop of


12

Westminster in 1892; he remained as Su-

perior General of the Society until his

death in St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill,

on 19th June 1903.

Developments for Mill Hillin Ireland

Students from Ireland studied in Mill

Hill colleges in England from the early

days of the Society. The first foundation

in Ireland was in a leased house in Bal-

lytruckle, Waterford, from July 1917 to

July 1919; the Rector was Fr. Herbert

Doyle and the students studied Philoso-

phy in St. John’s College. The permis-

sion to have a house was only for the

duration of the First World War. How-

ever, in 1932, the Bishop of Ossory,

Patrick Collier, gave permission to open

a school (minor seminary) in Freshford,

Co. Kilkenny. Some 160 Mill Hill priests

had their secondary schooling in St.

Joseph’s College, Freshford. In 1958,

through the good will of Archbishop

John Charles McQuaid, the Society ac-

quired Dartry House in Rathgar, Dublin.

Dartry House was the residence of the

students who studied Philosophy in Uni-

versity College Dublin or in the Miltown

Institute.

1966 - The Centenary Year

I was a student in St. Joseph’s Col-

lege, Mill Hill, when the centenary of the

Society was celebrated in 1966. There

were special events to mark the occasion,

including a Mass in Westminster Cathe-

dral (built by the Society’s Founder, Car-

St. Joseph’s College: Chapel and Tower with statue of St. Joseph near the

front entrance. Sadly, the College had to be sold in 2006.


13

dinal Herbert Vaughan). In many ways,

the celebration of the centenary was the

highpoint for the Society, with more than

eight hundred of the twelve hundred

priests and brothers working in eighteen

overseas countries. There were students

preparing for the priesthood in six Euro-

pean countries and in North America,

and there were mission benefactors in all

these countries.

The talks which the then Superior

General, Fr. Gerald Mahon, gave the stu-

dents on the Second Vatican Council

passed on the new insights of the Church

on mission: the responsibility for preach-

ing the Gospel belongs to the whole

Church, the People of God; missionary

societies are agents of the Church.

In 1970, the Society held a Renewal

Chapter to put the teachings of the Sec-

ond Vatican Council into effect. The

leadership of the Society became more

democratic, new ways of recruiting,

training, and being missionaries were

spoken about, and a proposal to accept

Lay Associates to work alongside priests

and brothers was accepted. As the think-

ing on mission was changing from the

nineteen sixties onwards, there was a

rapid decline in the number of candidates

coming forward to join Missionary Soci-

eties and Congregations in the Western

world. Mill Hill’s Minor Seminaries

were closed; the third level Philosophy

College in the Netherlands came to an

end a year after the centenary of its open-

ing. There were no more students in

Dartry House by 2000… and sad to re-

late, St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, had

to be sold in 2006. The new headquarters

of the Society is in Maidenhead, 40 miles

outside London.

Fr. Richard Njoroge, mhm, (in white cassock) with a group of Christians

in Cameroon.


14

A few weeks after my arrival in

Cameroon in August 1973 I attended a

meeting of the priests working in the

southern section of the diocese of Ba-

menda; of the priests who attended, 29

were Europeans, 1 was American and

three were Cameroonians. In July 2003,

I preached a retreat to the clergy in the

same areas; of the 77 who attended, 66

were Cameroonians. Big changes had

taken place; the leaders were no longer

missionaries from abroad but local Bish-

ops.

In 1988, the Society decided to accept

candidates from the countries which they

had helped to evangelise to be members

of the Society. From 1995 until 2015,

over 70 priests who have been ordained

as Mill Hill Missionaries are from

Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, India and the

Philippines.

As our Missionary Society celebrates

150 years since its humble beginnings in

Mill Hill, we have over 150 students in

Formation in Africa and Asia, and thus

can look forward to an average of ten or-

dinations per year for the foreseeable fu-

ture. The task of spreading the Gospel

continues, thank God. And thank God

too, that here in Ireland, we have many

generous benefactors who continue to

support the new generation of Mill Hill

Missionaries now going out ‘to proclaim

the Good News to the Nations’.

Fr. Brian Oswald, mhm, (back left) and Fr. Gerry Hastie, mhm, (front right)

with some of our Indian Mill Hill students.


Novena to St. JosephFriday, March 11 - Saturday, March 19

Our Novena of Masses and Prayers commences

on Friday March 11th. Please join us daily by

reading the short reflections given on pages

16-17, and saying the Novena Prayer to St.

Joseph. In addition to the nine day Novena of

masses, a Mass will be offered each day in

March for your intentions.

The Feast of St. Joseph is on March 19th.

People living in the Kilkenny area are invited to

join us each evening at 8pm for the Novena at:

Mill Hill Missionaries, St. Joseph’s,

Waterford Road, Kilkenny.

NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

Ever glorious St. Joseph, good and faithful ser-

vant, God was pleased to place his own family

in your care. We thank you for

being such a wonderful example of

humility and faith, of prayerfulness and

courage, in your ordinary daily life.

Through your intercession, may God grant us

the blessing of living continually in his presence,

and responding to his love in our daily lives.

When we have lived our days on earth, may

God give us the great joy he gave you - that of

entering eternal life in the company of Jesus

and Mary.

Most loving St. Joseph, accept our Novena

prayers and obtain for us through your power-

ful intercession, the favours and graces we ask

for in this Novena. Amen.

15


16

Joseph was a just man who always did what was right (Mt. 1:19).

What a predicament Joseph was in when he discovered Mary waspregnant. He was a just man. God would show him. He trusted inGod’s guidance to show him the way. When we are troubled and

worried, may we too learn to trust in God.

If you listen to me you will know what is right and just (Prov.2:9)

Joseph was one who listened. No spoken word is recorded of him.God’s word came to him in silence. Constant noise prevents us

from listening and hearing. We ask Joseph to help us carve out aquiet time in our day to listen to God.

March. 13th

Joseph the

listener

March. 12th

Josephthe just

The Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph (Mt. 1:20).

God spoke to him in dreams and visions, yet he was a very ordinary man.

God speaks to each of us ordinary people. We ask Joseph to help us to be

sensitive to God’s presence with us.

March 14th

Josephman ofvision

Joseph took the child and his mother and left for Egypt. (Mt. 2:14)

When Cardinal Herbert Vaughan founded the Mill Hill Missionaries (St.Joseph’s Missionary Society) in 1866, he chose St. Joseph to be the patronand protector of his new Missionary Society. He also pointed to St. Josephas a model for missionary life - steady, quiet work in an unusual faithsituation, always close to Jesus and Mary, his mother.

March 11th

St. Joseph’s Missionary

Society

Joseph went to David’s town Bethlehem, because he was of thehouse of David . (Lk. 2:4).

Though of the Royal family of David, Joseph was ordinary and facedmany family problems such as Mary’s pregnancy, the threat to the lifeof Jesus, exile, how to make ends meet. We ask Joseph to protect our

families too - and strengthen us in love.

March 15th

Joseph the

family man

BEGINS ON FRIDAY, 11th MARCH

Each day, please read and contemplate the thought for the day, and thenread the Novena Prayer (c/f leaflet - Prayer also given on p.15).

Add: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...

NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH


17

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for thePassover festival (Lk. 2:41).

As husband and parent in the Holy Family, Joseph observed religiousfeasts; he went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath and prayed the

Psalms at regular times during the day. We ask Joseph to help us tolive prayerful lives, by spending quiet time in prayer each day, and

taking part in the church’s liturgy.

And Joseph named him Jesus (Mt. 1:25).

Joseph taught Jesus his prayers, brought him to the Synagogue,introduced him to the Scriptures and taught him all the religious

practices of a devout Jew. Strong family guidance, settingChristian standards of behaviour and worship, are badly needed

in families and society today.

Isn’t he the carpenter’s Son (Mt. 13:55).

Joseph taught Jesus his trade. Joseph loved his work and knew itsdignity. He also knew what people suffer in times of hardship andunemployment. Work is not just a means of making money. It is a

service to others, a sharing in the redemptive work of Jesus, ameans of creating order and beauty and making the world a betterplace. We ask Joseph to help us appreciate the dignity of work and

grant us meaningful employment.

March 16th

Joseph man of prayer

March 17th

Josephthe

teacher

March 18th

Joseph the

worker

To Love and to serve - Our Mill Hill Motto

‘To love and to serve’ is the motto that was chosen by Herbert Vaughanin 1866 for St. Joseph’s Missionary Society. He pointed to the example ofSt. Joseph’s life of loving service and wanted his future missionaries tolove and to serve. In 2016 the Mill Hill Missionaries are celebrating 150years of missionary service. And we are also very aware that missioncontinues as we now have over 70 Mill Hill priests and 150 students fromAfrica and Asia. So we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with gratitudefor the past and hope for the future.

March 19th- Saturday

Feast of St. Joseph

Please join us in our nine-day Novena to St Joseph, as we honourour powerful patron, asking his protection and guidance

in all our needs.


Mill Hill Jubilees - 2016Fr. DONAL HARNEY – Golden JubileeDonal’s desire to become a priest started when he was a Massserver in his native parish of Claregalway, Co. Galway. Donal’sfather came from Drum, Co. Roscommon, and was an agricul-tural instructor. While posted to Kinvara, Co. Galway, he metDonal’s mother. They settled in Claregalway where Donal wasborn and brought up.

One day while his father was inspecting farm buildings he metFr. Paddy Doyle, mhm, the vocations director for Mill Hill. Fr.

Paddy came to see Donal and that is how Donal found himself in St. Joseph’s Col-lege, Freshford, in September 1955. Donal’s father (and family) had other postings:to Bantry, Co. Cork and after that to Sligo. Donal was ordained with his classmatesMichael O’Brien and Michael Gill in the Parish Church in Freshford by Bishop PeterBirch on July 10, 1966. He celebrated his first Mass in Sligo.

Donal was appointed to Uganda and still remembers the first words of the Bishop:“Father, we are very short of teachers here.” He then knew what his future wouldbe. He found himself teaching in Mbale College in 1968 and two years later he wasposted to Nagongera Seminary where he spent 16 years. Uganda was a pleasantcountry to work in. The people were friendly and the climate was favourable. Butsadly the land was not peaceful for very long. Idi Amin seized power in January 1971and that led to 8 long years of tension and unrest. It was a relief for Donal to gethome in 1977. By this time his father had retired and the family were back in Galway,in Oranmore. His father was not in good health and he died the following spring of1978.

When Donal returned to Uganda the situation was getting worse. Idi Amin wasoverthrown in April 1979 but his legacy of unrest was to follow. Donal had to makea sad trip home again to Ireland in 1989 when his mother died in August of that year.Donal returned to Uganda. In 1994 he took up an appointment to a newly constructedsecondary school in Mbikko parish just outside Jinja town.

He did a sabbatical in 2004 and hoped to return to Uganda but it was not to be.After 38 years he sadly had to say goodbye to a country and people he had come toknow and love. In 2005 he took up residence in our Mill Hill House in Kilkennyand went on the road doing mission promotion and fundraising. This took him toparishes all around the country: to Antrim, then to Waterford and to Sligo. Then itwas on to Tipperary and East Galway, to Clare and Longford. Donal still resides inKilkenny and gives thanks to the Lord for his life and for his family, friends and col-leagues who have been such a support to him down the years.

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FR. MICHAEL O’BRIEN - Golden JubileeWhen Fr. Michael wrote the details for this piece he commented:“I am writing this in the same week that the report that rashersand processed pork can be linked with cancer. I can think of nobetter creature to accompany me down memory lane than thathumble and much maligned pig! Didn't our English Teacher atSt Joseph's College, Freshford, entertain us for the Inter Certwith Charles Lamb's: ‘Dissertation on Roast Pig’?”

Michael is the second youngest in a family of six from Crusheen in Co. Clare.He recalls this early memory of his Dad: “his ability, on Saturdays, to delegatevarious tasks to us 4 boys. The older brothers got jobs like mending fences;Martin and I usually heard: ‘Clean out the pig-sty and replace the straw bed’.Our one pig lived in a detached apartment, the front door opening on to a 2 acrefield. This was the scene for our weekly Piggy Back Derby. We took turns tojoy-ride the animal - much to the pig’s disapproval, who took off like a buckingbronco in an effort to dislodge the rider.”

Michael was ordained in 1966 in Freshford Parish church and went on to spendthree years on the staff of St. Joseph’s College, Freshford. His first overseasappointment was to Borneo where he spent eleven years. His first parish priestwas Fr. Tom Connors from Kiltullagh, Co. Galway, who lost no time introducingMichael to succulent freshly speared wild boar, barbecued in the Longhousesof the newly baptised Sea-Dyaks. He says: “one of my deepest joys as a mis-sionary was to witness the flowering of the Catholic Faith in East Malaysia.Where there were 2 struggling Dioceses in the nineteen sixties now there are 6thriving ones: "This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes." (Psalm117:23)

All too soon Michael was forced to do some island hopping in the Far East -to Antique in Central Philippines where he spent 32 eventful years (1980-2012)in the company of the fun-loving Filipinos – “no celebration, be it fiesta, bap-tism, marriage or funeral could be complete without the barbecued pig-con-sumed from the skin in!”

Just 3 years ago he was recalled (‘kicking and screaming’ - as he says) fromthat Philippines. He now finds himself (with other Mill Hill colleagues) amongthe chaplains at Knock Shrine. He comments: “All of us agree that we are inthe Forecourt of the New Jerusalem. The Gentle Merciful Lamb, His HolyMother Mary and St Joseph invite us all to come and find rest. (Mt.11:28) We get bodily refreshment in St. Mary’s Hostel, run by the Daughters of Charity,and you've got to believe it: the Speciality of the House is succulent spare Ribs- the best west of Suez!”


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FR. GERALD DOYLE - Silver Jubilee

Gerald Doyle is from the parish of Freshford, Co Kilkenny - the

second child in a family of five boys and four girls. His mother,

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, hails from Carrigallen parish, Co Leitrim.

One of the young boys in her class at Dumeela NS was the fu-

ture Mill Hill Missionary Kevin O’Rourke. Before she moved

to Kilkenny in 1963 to marry Gerald’s late father, James Doyle

from Muckalee, the Mill Hill Fathers in Freshford, Co Kilkenny

struck a chord with her. In fact the newly ordained Fr Kevin was appointed to

Kilkenny in 1959 and Gerald’s mother visited him in St Joseph’s College, Up-

percourt. Little did she know that a few years later she would move to Freshford

and raise her family mostly alone after Gerald’s father’s untimely death in 1980.

Gerald began his Primary School education in Clinstown NS (Conahy parish) in

1969 and completed it in Freshford NS. He proceeded to St Joseph’s College,

Freshford, in 1978 for his secondary education. In 1983 he began his formation

in Dublin and continued his theology studies in Mill Hill London in 1986. From

1988 to 1990 he did his two years Mission experience in Nyamagwa parish, Kisii

Diocese, Kenya. He was ordained priest in Freshford on 10th August 1991 by

Bishop Lawrence Forristal.

Gerald was appointed to the Bamenda Highlands in the Archdiocese of Bamenda,

Cameroon. Over the next twenty years he trekked and reached out to Christian

communities in many remote areas amongst the Bafut, Akum and Bekom peoples.

He was also assigned to be Vocations Director in Cameroon. Gerald has had a

role in nurturing the missionary vocations of the 16 Mill Hill Cameroonian mem-

bers ordained and was involved in the formation of Diocesan seminarians for the

Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province.

After a sabbatical year in 2012 he was appointed to Kilkenny to the fundraising

and mission promotion ministry of Mill Hill in Ireland. He continues with this

work while being Rector of the House in Kilkenny.

Mill Hill Jubilees - Continued

We congratulate our Jubilarians as

they celebrate many years of loving

service in St. Joseph’s Missionary

Society of Mill Hill.

“Be missionaries of God’s love and

tenderness and mercy.”

(Pope Francis)


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BrotHer JoS was a member

of the Mill Hill General

Council for 10 years: 2000-

2010. He is now the Society

Financial Secretary. He

visited Uganda in 2012

where he met some of his

former students who are

doing very well.

IN 1973 I went out as a young21 years old Mill HillMissionary lay-brother to

Nakuru diocese in Kenya. Iworked with the VillagePolytechnics (Rural TradeSchools) in various areas in thediocese.

After some years I was asked to work

with the ex-students from the polytech-

nics to help them set up their local pri-

vate businesses. For many years I was


22

able to be their advisor and keep them

motivated till they could stand on their

own feet.

I moved on to Uganda in 1987 and I

was appointed to Jinja diocese which is

situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. I

was asked by the late Bishop Joseph

Willigers, mhm, to do something with

technical education for the youth in the

diocese and to rehabilitate a trade

school/village polytechnic for Jinja town

and to set up a Development Office (pro-

ject office) for the diocese. We started in

several places in the diocese of Jinja.

John Vincent Okello

On a return visit to Uganda a couple of

years ago, I met John Vincent Okello

who was a student at the Jinja polytech-

nic from 1993-1995. He is the founder

as well as the managing director of St.

Mugaga’s Construction Company and

happily married. After he left the poly-

technic he started his own little work

group and contracting business with 12

people of which some were also ex-stu-

dents of the polytechnic and who were

the core group of the small building com-

pany. In 1999 he expanded his business

and started doing big contracts in Busoga

Province and beyond. He now has 276

employees and looks forward to expand-

ing his company in the years ahead.

Eustace Kitembo At the MH Formation Centre in Jinja I

met another former polytechnic student

Eustace Kitimbo who was a student at

the polytechnic from 1989-1991 and who

has now a carpentry/furniture business

and works from St. Ludigo’s Centre in

Jinja where his workshop is situated.

This centre was set up by Jinja Diocese

to facilitate ex-students to start small

scale businesses under supervision and

with advice. He worked with this group

till 2005. The group split up and he re-

started with one of the group members

and now had several employees - doing

carpentry contracts in and around Jinja

and Busoga Province.

In 2008 he also started a training or-

ganisation for people with disabilities.

This organisation aims at improving the

living conditions of people with disabil-

ities through economic and vocational

training skills and they operated from St.

Ludigo’s Centre in Jinja. They have 11

students: 4 with disabilities are doing

welding and metal fabrication; 3 deaf

boys doing carpentry and joinery, and 4

girls (3 deaf and 1 disabled) learning

other skills. The beneficiaries of Eustace

Kitembo’s organisation to date total 295

and these include deaf, blind, lame and

disabled.

In 2008 he also started

a training organisation

for people with

disabilities

Jos was asked by the late

Bishop Joseph Willigers, mhm,

to do something with technical

education for the youth.


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Ko Klaver has met a friend - Jos Boerkamp is not so sure!

Robert KigongoOn March 19th 2012, I attended the

opening of the Serenity Centre near

Kampala - set up by the late Brendan Jor-

dan, mhm, who died unexpectedly in

2013. Here I met another former student

of mine, who had started a contracting

firm (KIMECO) when he left Jinja poly-

technic in 1990. At that time I was still

development coordinator in Jinja Dio-

cese and I gave Robert Kigongo several

building contracts. His company also

worked for private clients and other reli-

gious congregations/missions – even be-

yond Jinja Diocese. His small building

group (most were ex-students from the

polytechnic) established themselves well

and they were registered as a company as

they expanded.

I advised them at the time to get more

organized and professional in dealing

with clients and making proper esti-

mates, project/contract planning, finan-

cial administration, etc. At present he

employs 60 people. Despite a lot of

competition in the trade he sees a good

future as they embrace new technical

methods of work and quality in service.

I found it most interesting and encour-

aging to meet these former students and

discover how well they have done since

I last saw them.


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IN THE Autumn 2011 editionof the Advocate, I wrote anarticle on the closure of one

of our parish communities inBrazil to make way for a new seaport. I mentioned how thecommunity staged the annualStations of the Cross. On 28thMarch 2015, the community

gathered once again to walk theStations of the Cross – this time,however, in a very differentsetting.

I have been living in the bairro of

Brisamar next door to our parish

Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. Since

July 2014, this bairro has been gripped


25

by an armed struggle between two dif-

ferent factions of organized crime: the

drug-traffickers and the militias. On the

day of the Stations of the Cross, the

drug-traffickers had the upper hand,

though by the time I wrote this article

the militia had taken complete control

of Brisamar.

The frequent shootings between the

two factions certainly tried the nerves

of ordinary residents. Many feared

going on the street, even during the day.

At night, streets were deserted, and

shops and snack bars closed due to fear

of getting caught up in a fire-fight.

Brisamar gained the unenviable reputa-

tion of being a dangerous place to visit,

let alone reside in. Some residents left

the area altogether.

Our annual outdoor ‘Stationsof the Cross’

It was in this setting that we ‘dared’

to stage our annual outdoor Stations of

the Cross. The religious event, includ-

ing an enactment of each station by the

youth, began its journey in the Commu-

nity of Saint Anthony in the neighbour-

ing (relatively peaceful) bairro of

Leandro. As the procession moved

through the streets of this bairro, we

were accompanied by the Municipal

transit police. The same police, how-

ever, abruptly left the faithful to fend for

themselves at the moment they crossed

over into the (‘dangerous’) bairro of

Brisamar. A little anxious, we continued

our procession, passing in front of the

parish Community of Saint Sebastian,

and then making our way up to the

parish Church of Saint Francis. Thank

God, the whole journey (about 2 hours)

passed without incident.

The armed drug-traffickers looked

on, somewhat bemused but showing re-

spect. At various points, the animator of

the procession took the opportunity to

proclaim the crucified Saviour’s great

love for all God’s creatures and his mes-

sage of peace.

Little one can do to influenceevents

These days, with the bairro now

under militia control, some Church

evening-time activities in Brisamar

(Masses and meetings) have had to be

cancelled, also social programmes that

involve visits to families. While, thank-

fully, no Community members have

been killed by the militia, a few experi-

enced forcible entry into their homes,

while others were ordered to leave their

homes altogether.

Whenever possible, the two Catholic

communities in the area (Saint Francis

of Assisi and Saint Sebastian) continue

to gather for prayer and celebration. The

Community serves as a kind of refuge

in the midst of the madness and danger,

even if in practical terms, there is little

it can do to influence events.

[Fr. Des was elected on to the Mill Hill

General Council at the Chapter last

June. He now resides at our headquar-

ters in Maidenhead, England]


Fr. Stan Bondoko,mhm, travelled withmembers of the

Basankusu CatholicYouth Choir to the village of Waka - 50miles along roughdirt tracks fromBasankusu, in theDemocratic

Republic of Congo.Basankusu lies justabove the Equatorin the heart ofAfrica's dense rainforest.


27

Fr Stan, who is in charge of the orientation programme for candidates to Mill

Hill Missionaries, regularly supports the diocese by celebrating Mass in Waka,

which is a very difficult place to get to because of the poor condition of the roads

through the rainforest.

"We will probably get there in less than four hours," said Fr Stan. "Fortunately,

the roads are dry at the moment - it's much more difficult with the tropical down-

pours we get at other times of the year."

The choir will spend three days performing at churches in the Waka parish of

Christ the King and surrounding villages. Amongst the choristers are some very

capable youth leaders who hope to get young people to play a greater role in the

life of the local church. Choir members will rely on the hospitality of parishioners

for somewhere to eat and sleep. They sing in spontaneous harmony and have a

large repertoire.

Two Mill Hill priests, Fr. Stan Bondoko (standing on the left) and Fr. John Kirwan,

helping the choir with their preparations - or perhaps supervising!


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IMET SUSAN AWUOR oneafternoon at her vegetablestall somewhere along

Kisumu’s outer ring road; thislakeside town has a populationof 450.000 people. Susan sitsthere behind veritable mountsof onions, tomatoes, kale andother vegetables.

Her small business is booming: “I am

so grateful for the help I have received

from the support group of the Pandipieri

Community Health Programme”, she

tells me.

After the death of her husband she

tested positive for HIV/AIDS some four

years ago. Accepting her status was a dif-

ficult struggle, but she pulled through

with the help of the staff and counsellors

at Pandipieri. Ever since she began tak-

ing the required medicine she looks a

picture of health again. A microcredit

provided from a fund donated by Misean

Cara (Ireland) helped her to set up her

small business. She is now able not only

to support her four children but also to

pay her rent and make sure she herself

eats well to sustain her recovery.


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The Programme and SisterBernadette’s role

The Programme in Pandipieri Catholic

Centre was started in 1978 by Fr Hans

Burgman, mhm. Sister Bernadette

Nealon, who is a Franciscan Missionary

of St. Joseph, is now the driving force

and inspiration behind the Health Pro-

gramme but she also plays a pivotal role

in running the whole Centre these days.

Besides the Community Health Pro-

gramme, there is a programme for the re-

habilitation of street children, a

vocational training section, an art school,

and there are many other programmes.

I am somewhat familiar with the his-

tory and the original inspiration of

Pandipieri Catholic Centre, as I served

on the Board there some years ago. I

went to see Bernadette and she fills me

in on her experience of the period of ex-

treme turbulence a few years ago when

the whole Programme was in danger of

collapse due to financial mismanagement

and embezzlement by some of the em-

ployees. She herself clearly played a key

role in the Centre succeeding to weather

that tropical financial storm.

Significantly pared down but with its

tattered image brushed up and its finan-

cial backing largely restored Pandipieri

Centre now thrives again serving an es-

timated 320, 000 people living in ‘infor-

mal’ settlements around Kisumu. The

HIV/AIDS department alone lists some

5000 registered patients, 800 of whom

are children. Much is also being done to

provide clean water and sanitation at

community level.

A personal story/journeyThe story of Joseph Oloo Alaka is a

good example of the personal struggles

of so many Kenyans in these times of

HIV/AIDS and of the healing that gospel

inspired persons like Sr. Bernadette can

bring. Born in 1974, Joseph joined

Pandipieri Centre in the year 2000 as a

watchman. At that time he already knew

he had contracted the AIDS virus.

But he found it impossible to tell his

wife and hid his status from her. When

she fell pregnant and was tested in an an-

tenatal clinic the result showed that she

too had been infected. She died in 2004.

The combination of this tragic loss and

his own deteriorating health condition fi-

nally brought him to his knees. He had to

accept his HIV status and get treatment!

When he got the treatment and coun-

selling at Pandipieri Health Centre, his

condition improved dramatically. In

2008 he married again, this time con-

sciously choosing a woman who already

knew her status was HIV positive. She

died in 2010.

Left with three children, one of whom

also carries the virus, Joseph is now a

member of staff of the Health Pro-

gramme.

Aware of his condition and arduous

struggles, Sr. Bernadette spotted his po-

tential and invited him to join the health

programme to help staff and patients see

the importance of breaking through the

wall of shame, stigma and denial that

comes with having AIDS.

Joseph is currently involved in provid-

ing health education in schools and com-

munity groups. After some additional


30

training in Nairobi he also specialises in

child counselling and child disclosure

and doubles as awareness counsellor for

married couples. He knows from experi-

ence how difficult it is for spouses to dis-

close their HIV status to each other!

A picture of health, he is a human

being transformed. He is where he is

today because of Sr. Bernadette and the

Health Programme. He reflects: “There

is no sense in looking for guilt or origin

when it comes to AIDS. What matters is

that it can affect any one of us; you, your

best friend, your neighbour, your chil-

dren. My message to all of you and es-

pecially to the youth is therefore to learn

as much as possible about AIDS and to

love responsibly. When we have con-

tracted AIDS we are often rejected and

left alone with our disease, our needs, our

fears and suffering. Don’t desert us! We

need and are entitled to as much care,

compassion and understanding as every-

one else.” Sister Bernadette and her team

of helpers are working very hard to pro-

vide that care and compassion.

Sr. Bernadette is out and about - keeping an eye on the repair work being done on one

of the buildings in Pandipieri that was damaged in a tropical storm.



Sheila Bergin, Michael (Sonny)

Boles, John Bolger, Raymond & John

Joe Brophy, Kathleen Breslin

Higgins, Mary Byrne, Nora Byrne,

Philomena Byrne, Catherine Carolan,

Mary Clancy, Nora Clancy, Lena

Clarke, Nora (Nonie) Cloonan, Peter

(Petie) Cloonan, Annie Comiskey,

Noel Connelly, Paul Corrigan, Annie

Coyle, Rita Curley, Teresa DeLap,

Daphne Dillon, William Doyle, James

Duggan, Philomena Fingleton, Maura

Fitzgerald, Ethna Fleming, Seamus

Gleeson, Vera Gleeson, James

Goldrick, Mary Hennessy, Bernadette

Hodgkinson, Rita Halit, Florence

Hunt, Margaret Johnston, Peter

Keane, Maura Kearney, Seamus

Keating, Xavier Keenehan, Peter

Keeney, Patrick Kelly, Brigid

Killard, Hannie Leahy, Mary Leahy,

Ann Loftus, Molly Lyons, Ann

Melvin, Anastasia Mooney, Mary

Moran, Peter Murphy, Bridie Murphy,

Rita Murray, Mary McCarthy, Pat

McCarthy, Ned McCullagh, Con

McGill, Michael McGeown, Kathleen

McGrath, Elizabeth McKinney,

Brigid McLoughlin, Annie McManus,

Bridie McNamee, Florence Neary,

Gertrude Nicholls, Rita O’Gorman,

Una O’Malley, Sabina McLoughlin,

Bridie O’Sullivan, Tommy

O’Sullivan, Theresa Phelan, Mary

Randles, Edward Roles, Ann Ryan,

Denis Ryan, Maura Ryan, Vera

Sheehan, Michael Slevin, Eileen

Steele, Patrick J Tobin, Ita Wilkinson.

O b i t u a r y L i s t(Spring 2016 - up to and including 6/12/2015)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

have mercy on the souls of:

Fr. Lorenzo Bracken, MHM (Obituary in next Issue)Noreen Collins, sister of Fr. Jim O’Donoghue, MHM

Monica O’Sullivan, sister of Fr. James Anthony Boyle, MHMMartin Murray, uncle of Fr. Pat Murray, MHM

Kathleen (Kit) Holohan, mother of the late Fr. Liam Holohan, MHMDennis Xavier Shea, brother in law of Fr. Des McGillicuddy, MHM

Raymond Lah Akain, father of Fr. John Akain, MHM

Perpetual Members:

Mick Killeen.

Members:

32


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Perhaps you might interest a friend in becoming a member. All help for our missionaryapostolate is deeply appreciated, and you share in the prayers and good works of our

missionaries.

• It keeps all our friends and supporters in touch with our missionary work.

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Waiting patiently for Spring to arrive


St Joseph's Advocate Ireland

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