Fr Michael Heagney
died on Friday 8th January 2021, In The Galway Hospice, Galway.
Fr. Michael was born 19th August 1936 in Portumna, in County Galway. From 1950 to 1955, he attended secondary school at the Redemptorist College in Limerick. He entered the Redemptorist Novitiate and on September 24th of 1956, he took his first vows. He was ordained to the Priesthood on January 20th, 1963.
For twenty-five years, from 1964 to 1989, he worked in the Ilongo-speaking region of the Philippines, mostly in Iloilo but also in Bacolod.
From 1990 to 1993, he worked in the Novitiate in Dundalk with Fr. Pat Reynolds. From 1993 to 1997, he worked in Galway, living in the Newcastle area with some other Redemptorists in an experimental youth apostolate. This was followed by five years in our community of Mount St. Alphonsus in Limerick, where he was community bursar, before moving to Esker in 2002.
Michael was one gentle soul, a gracious man, a compassionate priest, and much loved in our community.
Fr Pat O’Connell
died on Friday 13th January 2021,In Milford Hospice, Limerick.
At the time of his death, he was assigned to Mount St. Alphonsus, Limerick
Fr. Pat was born on the 28th August 1929 in Doneraile, Co. Cork and ordained the 19th of August 1956. In 1959 he was assigned to the Philippines where he ministered for the next 20 years serving as local superior and parish priest as well as a stint as a formator and as Vice-Provincial Bursar. It is recognised that his work as Bursar set the foundations for the move for Cebu to become an independent Province on a solid financial basis. He was also responsible for organising the building of new churches in Dumaguete and Davao.
On returning to Ireland, he became a member of the Dublin parish mission team. In 1990 he was appointed provincial treasurer for nine years then, in 1999 he was named Rector and parish priest of St. Gerard’s in Belfast. In 2002 he once again joined the Dublin mission team but soon his main ministry became pastoral care to Filipino migrants in Ireland becoming an advocate for them to ensure that their rights were protected. He continued this ministry until his 90th year, travelling the length and breadth of the country to minister to local Filipino Communities who loved him dearly as a wise, supportive fatherly figure. His health declined in recent months where he remained at Mount St Alphonsus in Limerick, moving to The Millford Hospice the day before his death.
Fr. John Casey
died on Friday 14th January 2021, In Blanchardstown, Dublin
At the time of his death, he was assigned to St. Brigid’s Parish, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Fr. John Casey was born in Mitchlestown Co. Cork on 10th February 1937. He was ordained on 19th January 1964 and within a year of his ordination he was appointed to the Vice-Province of Bangalore where he ministered in India and Sri Lanka for fourteen years.
On returning to Ireland in 1979 he became a parish missionary and for some time he was leader of the missionary teams. In the early 1980s for three or four years he was editor of SEARCH, a province community bulletin. He was rector of St. Joseph’s Monastery in Dundalk for six years from 1993 to 1999.
In 2007 he was assigned to parish ministry in the Archdiocese of Dublin and remained there until his sudden death on 14th January 2021
He was a man of great compassion especially in his dealings with those in distress.
