St. Joseph's Advocate Ireland by mhmcorrespondent

St. Joseph’s

Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries

Spring 2021

Advocate

The ‘Year of St Joseph’ On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis announced the ‘Year of St. Joseph’ when he published his Apostolic Letter: “With a Father’s Heart”. The special “Year of St Joseph” runs from December 8, 2020, until December 8, 2021.

Spring 2021 ST. JOSEPH’S ADVOCATE Published by: Editor: Printed in Ireland by:

CONTENTS

Mill Hill Missionaries Fr Jim O’Connell Modern Printers, Kilkenny

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long Singut over 50 years ago - Fr Tom Connors mhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Living with hope – Fr Michael Corcoran mhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mill Hill and Missio UK – bringing help and hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Searching for the Light in troubled times – Fr Philip Bawe mhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mill Hill Formation, Iloilo, the Philippines – Fr Tony Emeka mhm .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chaplain in Jacobi Hospital, New York - Fr Matt Grier mhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St Joseph’s Novena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nairobi: New Formation Year 2020 - Fr Damien Fuh mhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mill Hill Jubilees 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modern Filipino painting of the ‘Last Supper’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mill Hill’s first Mission: To African Americans - Fr Robert O’Neil mhm . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mill Hill Ordinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caring for Our Common Home - Fr Jim O’Connell mhm .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obituary List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This is the first sentence of the Letter: “With a Father’s Heart – that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as ‘the son of Joseph’.” Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows. The Holy Father wrote his Letter “With a Father’s Heart” against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” 2

Volume 61 No. 1

2 4 6 7 8 11 12 15 19 20 22 24 27 28 31

Photo credits: Michelle Slater, Fons Eppink, Daniel Foley, Philip Bawe. Tony Emeka, Matt Grier, Damien Fuh. Front Cover: Staying safe – Jikijem/Elak Oku parish, Cameroon.

MISSION OFFERINGS

All Postal Orders and Cheques to be sent direct to us at St. Joseph’s Advocate, Mill Hill Missionaries, 50 Orwell Park, Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535. Bank Giros to be sent directly to our Bank account. Details of the a/c available from our office: 01 412 7707 St. Joseph’s Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries 50 Orwell Park Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535 Tel: (01) 412 7707 Spring 2021

Spring 2021

Email: organisingmhm@gmail.com Website: www.millhillmissionaries.co.uk 1

From the Editor Fr Jim O’Connell, mhm

‘Pray more, complain less and have a more tranquil tongue’ (Pope Francis) On the door of his apartment in the Vatican, Pope Francis has a sign in red lettering “complaining not allowed”. With this phrase, he is following a long tradition. St. Benedict in the early 6th Century repeatedly warned his monks about complaining and grumbling. He stressed that it can destroy the life of the community. On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul 2020, Pope Francis said “It is pointless, even tedious, for Christians to waste their time complaining about the world, about society, about everything that is not right. Complaints change nothing. Let us remember that complaining is one of the doors that closes us off from the Holy Spirit.” To open that door, Pope Francis asks people to pray more and complain less and have a more tranquil tongue. It is not the first time that that Pope Francis has spoken about complaining, criticism and gossip. Shortly before Christmas 2014, he delivered an 2

astonishing talk to those working in the Vatican. The gathering consisted of Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Priests. Normally, this kind of pre-Christmas get-together is a very pleasant affair - with an exchange of gifts and lots of praise and affirmation for each other. But this meeting was different. The Pope spoke about a ‘spiritual disease’ that had infected the Curia (the people working in the Vatican). The Cardinals and others present were not amused as there was little to laugh about. He had some harsh words to say about complaining and criticising, grumbling and gossip: “this is a serious disease that begins simply, often just in the form of having a chat, and takes people over, turning them into sowers of discord, cold-blooded murderers of the reputations of their colleagues and brethren.” The ‘spiritual disease’ – as the Pope calls it - can creep into our lives too. The tendency to complain, criticise and gossip is never far away. It can start off innocently enough, but we can soon be on a slippery slope. Our words and the feelings that lie behind them can be destructive for ourselves Spring 2021

and others. When criticism and gossip gets out, it is very difficult to take it back. A colleague told me his late mother used to say gossip is like chicken feathers blowing in the wind. If the wind catches the feathers when one is plucking a chicken, they blow away and you cannot get them back. So it is with gossip and criticism. Damage is done. Relationships suffer. It is frightening to see how quickly this can happen; people may end up no longer talking to each other. Positions become entrenched, attitudes harden, and the heart is closed. It can happen between friends, neighbours and even members of a family. Lent is a good time to take the Pope’s words to heart: ‘Pray more, complain less and have a more tranquil tongue’. This will help us to make progress in tackling the ‘spiritual disease’ of complaining, criticising and gossip that afflicts us all at some stage. We

cannot follow the Pope’s advice on our own, nor do we have to, since we live in the abiding presence of a loving and merciful God. In the words of St. Augustine: “God hovers in love over the fragments of our brokenness; over the dark and storm tossed waters of our lives, God hovers in mercy.” And God’s great love and mercy is revealed in Christ, especially in his passion and death: “Greater love than this no one has than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13) We pray that this Lent and Holy Week we will experience Christ’s love for us in a way that will make us more positive and hopeful, more kind and charitable. The Novena to St. Joseph is on pages 15-18. We have copies of the Novena available in leaflet form if any of your friends or a prayer group might like to avail of them.

“Greater love than this no one has than to lay down one’s life” (Jn 15:13) Spring 2021

Deep in the Borneo Rainforest Smiles from Long Singut - 2016

LONG SINGUT CATHOLICS HAD NEVER SEEN A PRIEST In 1966, I was appointed to Song/ Kapit Parish in Sibu Diocese, Sarawak, Malaysia - the most extensive parish in the interior of Borneo. I heard that a very large Catholic Kenyah group, about 1000 people, had come across from Indonesian Kalimantan in 1967. They set up Longhouse settlements in an extremely remote area of rainforest on the Malaysian side of the border at Long Singut within our Parish. The Malaysian government promised them citizenship if they accepted to become Muslims. But they refused this. I made the 3 day trip upriver to visit them and found that they had been baptized a few years earlier by a catechist in Kalimantan. At first I did not believe that they were Catholics until I examined their prayer books and found that they knew the catholic prayers. 4

By Fr Tom Connors, mhm

(Fr Tom is now retired in St Joseph’s House, Dublin. Photos are from recent years)

Catholics who had never seen a priest They had been very faithful in their catholic faith, despite the fact that they had never seen a priest and had never had Mass or Confession. Though they did not expect me, they staged a magnificent welcome. They did not allow us to go up to their Longhouses until they had formed a welcoming ceremonial procession that continued the length of the Longhouse veranda. When we were seated comfortably they placed about 30 hens and a big pile of bananas, papaya and other fruit in front of us. They told us that we must eat all of it before we returned home! Later, after a beautiful evening meal, they continued with the welcoming celebration, beginning with the young Spring 2021

and old joining in the dance moving along the veranda rhythmically while stamping the floor in unison to the sound of mesmerizing music. This was followed by elegant dances and their distinctive singing and music. I spent four days with them; we had Mass and baptisms of the many babies who had not yet been baptized. On the morning when we were ready to leave, they all came down to the river bank to bid us farewell. The Kenyahs are very religious by nature Their Prayer Leaders led them in their Christian service every Sunday. The congregation prayed loudly in unison and with very beautiful choraI singing in Indonesian melodies. I began to teach them about the Catholic Mass and Confession in their Kenyah language. They were very pleased with this. But I may have overstressed some things a bit; when they came in for Confession, each one came in crying, tears flowing down their cheeks. I had to Spring 2021

They pray in unison with beautiful choral singing

One of the Longhouses in Long Singut - 2016

go out and tell them that such an outward show of sorrow was not necessary. We later conducted a ‘Life in the Spirit Seminar’ for them led by Bishop Anthony Lee and Kenyah catechists from the Dicese of Miri. The people quickly learned their beautiful Kenyah Catholic hymns. The Kenyahs are very religious by nature. We sent their two Prayer Leaders for further training. Soon they built a beautiful church in the true Kenyah style. Despite the fact that a priest could only visit them once or twice a year, I have to marvel at how they have survived and thrived so well up to now without the presence of a priest most of the time. 5

Living with hope

Missio UK and Mill Hill -

By Fr Michael Corcoran mhm, General Superior of Mill Hill

What we experience with the pandemic and what the world is going through this year will be spoken about for generations to come. When people look back on 2020, they will tell the story of how the world had to pause; travel was suspended; people had to isolate themselves from one another and learn new ways to study, to communicate, and do business. They will speak of how new opportunities were found for people to gather Online – not only for lessons, socializing and decision-making – but also for prayer and the praise of God. As I scan through the social media and also find myself initiated into ‘zoom’, I realise that many of our Mill Hill Missionaries have experienced with positive surprise the possibilities offered by digital communication. I hope that we can continue to take advantage of this into the future; I have seen how Online Masses have brought encouragement to God’s scattered

people during this critical time. With isolation and lockdown, we missed the visits, the coming together whether for worship, work, sporting or social occasions. I am sure that many people are growing closer to God through this crisis. We are certainly reminded that we are not invincible and we are far from being in control of everything; we are quite dependent – on others and on God. Life is precious and fragile; love and family is fundamental to our safety and well-being. Not only is our physical health important, but also our mental, emotional and spiritual health. The words that leap out at me at this critical time are trust, hope, life, love, truth, and stay safe. Through our relationship with God and with each other, and through prayer, we continue to welcome each new day with hope and freshness.

Bringing Help and Hope to Many During the COVID-19 pandemic, Missio UK and the Mill Hill Missionaries have been able to bring help and hope to communities that were already struggling with conflict, poverty and hardship before the pandemic. Here are two examples:

Philippines: Turda Parish spreads across several small islands and each are home to around 600 families. Due to the Coronavirus lockdown, people have lost livelihoods. Now, many families have even more mouths to feed as workers, dismissed from their jobs, are returning back to their family homes. Sadly, the coastguard has banned fishing, removing a vital source of food. Thanks to people who support Missio UK and Mill Hill, parish volunteers have delivered rice to hundreds of hungry families. Fr John Paul Bangsi (Mill Hill) wrote from Turda, the Philippines: “Missio UK and Mill Hill has shown us that God does not fail and that the Church reaches out to her children in times of distress. The people of Turda Parish know that the world has not abandoned them”.

Cameroon: In May 2020, funds were sent by Missio Uk through Mill Hill to assist poor missions in handling the Covid-19 Pandemic; the funds were distributed to parishes where many Corona virus cases had been confirmed with terrible consequences. With the funds received, the Mill Hill priests in parishes were able to organise vital food rations, as well as soap, sanitiser and face masks for families across 21 mission stations. Kembong is one of the missions that benefitted from the funds; it is the place where a young Mill Hill priest, Fr Cosmos Omboto Ondari, was shot dead on November 21, 2018. Fr Richard Njoroge (Mill Hill) wrote from Cameroon acknowledging the funds received and distributed: “I bring to you hearts of gratitude for this great gesture of solidarity, when the whole world is locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. May the good Lord increase your store.”

Living with hope - staying safe in Cameroon 6

Spring 2021

Living in these Troubled Times - Searching for the Light By Fr Bawe Philip Shube mhm (Fr Bawe Philip Shube is a Mill Hill Missionary from Cameroon. He was ordained in 2019 and has had mission experience, as a student, in the Philippines. He is presently undertaking Theological Studies at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.)

Disappointed and frustrated Before I arrived in Turda, I compiled notes to deliver religious instruction to children and young adults as well as musical pieces to begin a new and vibrant choir in the Parish. All the preparation went well and I could feel great energy and enthusiasm for the experience of mission that lay ahead. However, after I arrived in Turda, it was only a matter of weeks before everything ended up in disappointment – no one seemed to be interested or supportive of my teaching and music projects, not even those I thought were my friends. I was frustrated, lonely and felt unwelcome. It was a real crisis moment for me as a missionary student; I had failed and I just wanted to quit and go back home to Cameroon. Eventually, I decided to pause and reflect deeper on what was going on. It took a while but, in the end, I came to realise that Turda was teaching me an important lesson; without friendship, genuine love and trust, we remain powerless to influence and educate

Philip on his way to one of the islands 8

In 2015, I left Nairobi, Kenya, as a Mill Hill student, to go to the Philippines for an experience of missionary life that was to last two years. I was assigned to the Mill Hill parish in Turda, which is situated in a remote part of the island group of Palawan. The Mill Hill Missionaries founded the parish in 2007. The parish Centre is situated in the middle of the fishermen’s village of Turda. Numerous mission centres in the parish are dotted along the coast and on other smaller islands.

Spring 2021

others. The people were not ‘objects’ for my projects; they were human beings in need of love and respect. I had to change my approach and adapt; I played and danced with the children and I joined the adults in their music, laugher and celebrations. Before long, life had become good again; the people I once thought to be cold and indifferent were the same for whom two years later (2017) I was going to shed tears as I said goodbye - I still miss them. Looking back on my experience in Turda, I had only myself to blame for any initial disappointment and frustration. Nevertheless, it was this same frustration that presented the rare opportunity for my personal development and growth. The disappointment I felt, which seemed very dark and difficult at the time, was the very light I needed to help me to change and adapt. It was during that dark time that I came to realise the importance of friendship, genuine love and trust in human relationships. Our troubled times - In the darkness, searching for light The world today appears to be shrouded in darkness, with no beam of light gleaming on the horizon. We are certainly living in very challenging times with the scourge of the Covid 19 pandemic; we also have the emergence of huge waves of refugees across the globe like has never been seen before. Hunger, disease, war and famine claim thousands of innocent lives daily, many of whom are children. These are some of the challenges facing our world in these troubled times. 9

Such challenges can leave us with a certain amount of fear, anxiety, confusion, and in extreme cases, despair and hopelessness. Recently in Ireland, in this Covid-19 era, there has been a great focus on mental health, an indication that crises moments can have a long-lasting effect on the way we live and relate to one another. As I discovered in the Philippines, we can be feeling disappointed and frustrated when things do not seem to be going the way we want or expect. Perhaps, it is time for us to pause and look again. The challenges we are facing today as a human family could be the

light we need to see a way to become better persons. They could be the voice of God calling us to change and adapt; they could be an invitation to enter into genuine friendship by taking personal responsibility to love and care for one another, especially the poor and needy. Facing the challenges could be a time for us to reflect on and to acknowledge our silence and indifference in the face of injustice, inequality and discrimination; it could be a time for us to recognise that in the darkness there is always some light; it could be our opportunity to participate in the building of a better world – God’s Kingdom on earth.

In every storm, God’s Hand is there to save, and in the darkness, there is always light to help us see more clearly. Are we able to pause and look again?

Mill Hill Formation, Iloilo, the Philippines – Fr Tony Emeka, mhm

August 6, 2020, the Feast of the Transfiguration, here in the Formation House was a remarkable day as we launched officially the new academic year and said farewell to Fr Domingo Arnaiz mhm. On the one hand, we were glad to officially welcome our three new students who will be starting their Basic Formation. On the other hand, this was a Thanksgiving Mass for the seven years of loving service of Fr Domingo Arnaiz mhm as rector of the Formation house. . The last months of Fr Domingo in the Formation House have been during this strange time of the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the restriction of movement, we spent our summer together in the Formation House. Fr Domingo is one of those who made the best of this lockdown time. For those who do not know Fr Domingo, he is really gifted in painting and music. During Lockdown, he painted a picture of our Founder, Hebert Cardinal Vaughan, at the middle of the Formation house garden. He also managed to complete many other beautiful works of art. The paintings mean that he will be remembered by all who go through this Formation house. May God bless you Domingo, and may He send his Angels ahead of you as you look forward to taking up your new mission.

Philip visiting

Mill Hill students in front of Fr Domingo’s painting of Cardinal Vaughan

Turda - Philip (yellow shirt) holding a mango 10

Spring 2021

Chaplain in Jacobi Hospital, New York by Fr. Matt Grier, mhm

Fr Matt (from Leitrim) enrolling the President of the Leitrim Association, New York One would hardly expect a celibate priest to be scared of an HIV/AIDS test, but I was. This was part of my medical when I applied for the role as chaplain in Jacobi Hospital in New York in 1990. AIDS was rampant then and very little was known about this worldwide epidemic. What was known for sure was that it was life-threatening and people were scared of it. AIDS is usually transmitted through sexual activity, but can also be contracted through contact with infected blood and needles. Previously I had been in Uganda for ten years, during which AIDS was rife. Before the test I began to worry. What about the beer pot! On many occasions 12

I had shared a drinking straw with the locals where the straw was passed from mouth to mouth. Also during my time in Uganda malaria was my demon. For me the antidote was a chloroquine injection. On many occasions it restored my will to live. But now the thoughts arose - what about all these injections and were the needles clean? Was Aids like malaria that could lie dormant in one’s blood only to suddenly flare up?

Jacobi Hospital, New York City

My workplace was the huge Jacobi Hospital in New York City where chaplains were highly respected. Catholic, Jewish and other Christian denominations were catered for. Doctors often remarked that we could spend time where most needed whereas they had limited time with patients. We were seen as an essential part of the hospital staff and were summoned to emergencies like doctors and nurses. One could be called at any time of day or night. Needless to say one was happy to hand over the ‘beeper’ at the end of a tour of duty. Like in all walks of life, hospital chaplaincy has its highs and its lows. There are the expected lows when one is surrounded by sickness and death, but most patients recover and return home. AIDS was very common in those days, with some wards occupied solely by AIDS patients. At times it was like death row. The death of one patient spreads anxiety and fear among the others. Some of this grief spills over on staff as well because one gets to know

Some of the highs and a low

On one occasion I was privileged to experience and be part of something wonderful in an isolation ward. An AIDS patient had come to the point where he wanted to deal with unfinished business. He wanted to go to confession, receive Holy Communion and get married.

Fr Matt with family on the occasion of his Goldel Jubilee - 2019

These were the thoughts that troubled me as I prepared for my medical. How relieved I was when the result came back negative. I now had peace of mind and looked forward to my work as hospital chaplain. Spring 2021

Uganda 1979 - Fr Matt spent 10 years in Uganda these people and befriend them. It is now widely recognised that people in the caring professions need ongoing support themselves. I can honestly say that I have never met people more open to the person of Christ than are people afflicted in this way.

Spring 2021

All three were completed, with the cooperation of some nurses who acted as witnesses. I’ve never seen a happier couple. Sadly, the groom passed away the following day. Sometimes, in life, events can take an unexpected turn. One particular morning, I arrived unannounced on the third floor of the hospital, close to the burns unit. A patient had escaped from the unit and, with his back to a wall and surrounded by security officers, was threatening to set fire to himself and to the hospital. It was stalemate. The patient would not surrender and the security officers were reluctant to close in on him. As soon as I appeared on the scene he called out ‘father’ and with that order was restored. I accompanied him and his carers back to the burns unit. And now I move to one of my lows. Once, late in the evening, I was called to the hospital. On arrival I met a patient

who had been admitted for an abortion procedure. She was clearly conflicted and troubled. After she had spoken about her feelings I suggested that she make these same feelings known to her doctor and nurses. After that I informed her that the Archdiocese offers support, including financial support, to mothers who decide to carry their babies to term. Before parting, I assured her that I would see her first thing in the morning. On arrival I found that her place was vacant. I enquired at the desk and was informed that the procedure had taken place. Listening to peoples’ pain is tiresome but rewarding work. Being present to people in this way supports them at a profound level. But the time comes to move on. After five years as chaplain in Jacobi Hospital, I had reached that point. I will be forever grateful for the experience of working with hospital staff and patients.

NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH MARCH 11 - MARCH 19 In addition to the nine day Novena of Masses, a Mass will be offered each day in March for the intentions of all our subscibers and benefactors. Please join the Novena by reading the short reflection for each day, and saying the Novena Prayer to St. Joseph.

Novena Prayer to St. Joseph Ever glorious St. Joseph, good and faithful servant, 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. And 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 powerful intercession, the favours and graces we ask for in this Novena.

“As soon as I appeared on the scene he called out ‘father’ and with that order was restored” 14

Spring 2021

Pause to call to mind your special intentions ... St. Joseph, Pray for us. Add: Our father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be to the Father..., Amen. Spring 2018

DAY 1 JOSEPH - THE PROTECTOR/GUARDIAN

DAY 4 JOSEPH - MODEL OF HOPE AND LOVE

When Fr. Herbert Vaughan founded the Mill Hill Missionaries (St. Joseph’s Missionary Society) in 1866, he chose St. Joseph to be the patron and protector of his missionaries. He wanted them to be in the care of this great saint. Joseph would look after them as he looked after Mary and Jesus in the ‘flight to Egypt’ and at all other times. He took Mary and their new born child to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from Herod. Joseph was the ‘guardian of the redeemer’ (Saint John Paul II) on that ‘missionary journey’ to a foreign land and fulfilled his role as guardian or protector of Jesus and Mary for the rest of his life.

Joseph is an example of one who lived with a deep awareness of God’s Spirit in his heart and life, always noticing and responding to the movements of the Spirit. This was the ground of his hope and the source of his boundless love for Mary and Jesus.

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

Pope Francis sees St. Joseph as a protector to whom we can turn when we are struggling to cope with suffering or heartbroken with grief or weighed down with distress and loneliness. May St. Joseph be our protector on our journey through life.

DAY 2 JOSEPH - A JUST MAN

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

What a predicament Joseph was in when he discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph did not know who was the father of the child. He only knew that the child was not his. We can imagine how devastated he was when he discovered that the love of his life was pregnant before they came to live together. What was he to do? In the culture of the time he had no choice but to divorce Mary. It must have been heart-breaking for him but he was not going to make a fuss. Even before he received the Angel’s message that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit, he had decided to act in a caring way. He was going to act quietly and thus save her publicity and disgrace. He was a caring, honourable man, a just man, a man of God. May St. Joseph help us to put our problems before God and trust in Him.

DAY 3 JOSEPH - A MAN OF FAITH

‘An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said …’ (Mt. 1:20)

“If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) Joseph lived his life in the light of faith, always drawing strength and courage from his openness to God. He was a good listener. His heart was in the right place to discern God’s Will. We see this when Joseph had decided to divorce Mary quietly, but then received the Angel’s message that Mary ‘had conceived what was in her by the Holy Spirit’. He responded with the ‘obedience of faith’ (St. John Paul II) and took Mary to his home as his wife. “St. Joseph exercised his role by hearing God’s voice and being guided by God’s will in his daily life. He did this with faith and fidelity, with goodness and tenderness, as a strong and courageous man.” (Pope Francis) May Joseph lead us to a deeper faith and trust in God.

(Jesus said) ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God and trust in me’ (Jn. 14:1)

“If anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph. If exasperation 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 having drawn so close to us, and for giving us Joseph as an example and model of love.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) Through the intercession of St. Joseph may we grow in faith, hope and love.

DAY 5 JOSEPH – A CARING, LOVING FATHER

“Where did that man (Jesus) get all this wisdom?” (Mt.13:54)

“We can now see that Joseph must have played a decisive role in the formation of the youthful Jesus and his message. A key pointer in this area is the question of the contemporaries of Jesus: “Where did he (Jesus) get all this wisdom?” (Mt.13:54) Traditionally, Christians would be inclined to answer: “Well, Jesus was divine, so he knew everything.” That is not a good answer; St. Paul tells us that Jesus never took advantage of his divine nature and had to learn the same lessons as all of us. The better answer would be that he learnt it at home, from his parents Mary and Joseph.” (Hans Burgman, mhm) At home in Nazareth “Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature and in favour with God and with people.” (Lk. 2:52) It is clear that Joseph and Mary played a decisive role in the life of the youthful Jesus. “From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple and then back in Nazareth, Joseph is there at every moment with loving care.” (Pope Francis) May St. Joseph help us to experience God as a caring, loving Father.

DAY 6 JOSEPH - THE WORKER

“Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?’ (Mt. 13:55)

In 1955, Pope Pius XII chose May 1st as a special day to remember St. Joseph the worker. He described him as the patron of all working people. Joseph was dedicated to his work as a carpenter and Jesus, the carpenter’s son, would have learned the skills of his trade from him. For Pope Francis: “Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. Joseph exercised his role as teacher of Jesus discreetly and humbly, but with unfailing presence and utter fidelity. I like St. Joseph because he is a tradesman who gets things done. Like many tradesmen, he might keep you waiting for a while but you can always rely on him.” Pope Francis said that he writes his problems on a piece of paper at night and places it under a statue of St. Joseph, lying down, asleep. He then sleeps well when he goes to bed! Joseph probably knew the hardship of unemployment when there was little work or no work for himself and Jesus. St. Joseph help us to be committed to our work and help those who cannot find work.

DAY 7 JOSEPH - THE FAMILY MAN

Mary said: ‘See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you’ (Lk. 2:48)

Some of the Saints were convinced that `the discovery of Joseph` is a personal journey to Nazareth, to meet Joseph in the intimacy of the Holy Family. We can be sure that he held the baby Jesus in his arms and sat him on his lap; that he often carried Him as a child. St. Francis de Sales found the thought of this closeness fascinating: “I find nothing sweeter to my imagination than to see the child Jesus in the arms of this great Saint, calling him daddy.”

NAIROBI: NEW FORMATION YEAR – 2020 By Fr Damien Fuh mhm

With Joseph everything is so simple and yet so profound, so ordinary and yet so special. He is a person we can feel at home with. He was the village carpenter, the family man who worked for his living. He was profoundly loved by God and experienced that love and lived it and shared it, especially in the home at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary. May St. Joseph help us to discover God’s closeness in the ups and downs of family life.

DAY 8 JOSEPH - PATRON OF A HAPPY DEATH

‘At death life is changed, not ended’

In the Autumn Issue of St. Joseph’s Advocate, we usually have a photo of a stained glass window that depicts St. Joseph on his deathbed. The text at the base of the window reads: ‘Saint Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death, pray for us.’ Jesus is holding Joseph’s hand and blessing him, while Mary is praying and grieving close by. Just gazing at the window can bring comfort when we have to turn our thoughts to death or perhaps find ourselves grieving the loss of a loved one. The same gentle, loving Jesus is with each of us all through life and at the hour of our death. We draw great comfort from his promise: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live; everyone who believes in me will never die.’ (Jn. 11:25-26). The preface of the Mass for the dead reminds us: ‘At death life is changed, not ended.’ St. Joseph obtain for us the grace of entering eternal life in the company of Jesus and Mary.

DAY 9 JOSEPH - LOVING SERVICE

‘To love and to serve’

‘To love and to serve’ is the motto that was chosen by Herbert Vaughan in 1866 for St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill. He pointed to the example of Joseph’s life of loving service and wanted his future missionaries ‘To love and to Serve.’ He saw in Joseph a model for missionary life. Later as Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, he wrote: “Of old it was said to the needy and suffering people in the kingdom of Egypt: ‘Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.’ (Gen. 41:55). The same is now said to all needy and suffering people: ‘Go to Joseph.’ What was truly said of the first Joseph in the Old Testament as to his goodness and love is verified much more perfectly in the second Joseph – St. Joseph”. In 2016 the Mill Hill Missionaries celebrated 150 years of missionary service. Our mission continues now with around 120 young missionary priests from Africa and Asia and around 200 students preparing for the missionary priesthood. We celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19) with gratitude for the past and hope for the future.

Students and staff - staying safe from Covid

On Sunday August 23, 2020, we opened the formation year amidst the on-going corona virus pandemic restrictions. Reflecting on the current reality in the world, that is, the effects of the pandemic, the ecological crisis, and the ongoing conversion to which every Christian is called, we chose the theme “Renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 104:30) for this year of formation. Almost all the students present for the opening of the New Formation Year have been stuck at the Formation Centre since the beginning of the Pandemic crisis in March. Because of the international travel restrictions, most of the first year students were not able to physically participate in the recollection day and opening Spring 2021

Eucharist. However, they were able to participate in both events online. Bruno and Elvis joined us online from South Africa; Fredrick, Jude and Landus from Uganda; Clement from the Philippines and Bapuji from India. The students are having online classes from Tangaza University College while all pastoral activities are still suspended. The challenge of a time like this lies in the ability for the human person graced by God to use it as an opportunity. This is precisely what our community in Nairobi was striving to do during the time of lockdown. The result of this has been the blossoming of various previously hidden talents in the areas of singing, painting, gardening, sports, and the like. 19

e s e l i b u J Mill Hill

2021

Platinum Jubilee (70 years)

Fr Sean O’Brien was born in Bandon, County Cork, to a family of four brothers and five sisters. Sean and two of his brothers became priests, while two of his sisters joined Religious Life. He attended primary school in Bandon and did the Intermediate certificate with the Presentation Brothers at Christ the King, Turner’s Cross, Cork. He went to St. Joseph’s College, Freshford, in 1943 to do the Leaving Certificate. He did a year of Philosophy in Durham, England, and a second year in Rosendaal, Holland, from where he proceeded to Mill Hill, London, for Theology. He was ordained in Mill Hill on the 8th of July 1951.

Fr Kevin Reynolds is from Lanesboro, County Longford. He was ordained in St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford, on June 20th 1971. He arrived in Kakamega, Kenya, with his classmate the late Fr John Joe Courtney on Oct. 13th of that year, where he spent 33 very happy years. He had five appointments in all – the three longest ones were: 12 years as Chaplain/Tutor in Eregi Teachers Training College, 8 years on his own in Shikoti Parish and 10 years in St Anne’s, Eshisiru, as founder and first parish priest. He came home on ‘sabbatical’ in 2004 and, for health and family reasons, ended up in parish work in Ireland. He was parish priest in St Cuan’s Parish, Ahascragh, County Galway, for over 14 years. He is now in St Patrick’s Parish in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon.

He was appointed to the Maori Mission in New Zeland. He spent 43 years in his beloved New Zealand, after which he returned to England to do parish work. He went back to New Zealand for a further four years, and then came back to England to take up parish work in Hersden, East Kent. He retired in 2000. He now lives in St. Joseph’s House, Dublin. In the Winter Issue of the Advocate, we had an article written by Fr Sean, entitled: A Maori Woman of Faith.

Platinum Jubilee (70 years)

Fr Chris O’Connor is from Longford Town, where he attended the local primary school. His journey with Mill Hill began when he went to St. Joseph’s College, Freshford, where he did the Leaving Certificate, and then he went on to study philosophy in Durham, England, and Rosendaal, Holland. He studied theology at St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London. He was ordained priest on the 8th of July 1951.

After his ordination, he was appointed to St Louis, Missouri, USA, where he worked on loan to the Archdiocese as curate in the parish of Fulton for two years. During that time he took an MA at St Louis University. He was also Mill Hill Vocations Director for the USA. In 1967, he was appointed Spiritual Director to the philosophy students in Dartry, Dublin. He was Rector of Freshford from 1973 until 1979 when he joined the vocations team in Ireland. From 1985-1988 he was a parish priest in a parish in the Bronx, New York. This was followed by a term as Rector of the Mill Hill House in Glasgow. In 1999, he took up work as chaplain to Nazareth House in Sligo, and spent some time helping out in parishes in Elphin Diocese. In 2005, he retired to St. Joseph’s House Dublin. He moved to a Nursing Home in 2018. 20

Golden Jubilee (50 years)

Spring 2021

He says he misses the spiritual adventure of missionary work in Western Kenya but the Church at home has its own rewards and challenges. He is grateful to the Mill Hill General Council for allowing him to work outside the orbit of the Society in the Diocese of Elphin. He remembers and prays for all who have been entrusted to his pastoral care in Kenya and Ireland. He will be forever grateful to God, to his family, friends and Mill Hill confreres for their tremendous support and affection over the past 50 years. Kevin prays: ‘May the Living be blessed, may the Deceased find rest’.

Silver Jubilee (25 years)

Fr Liam Cummins is from Waterford and was educated by the De La Salle Brothers. He is the eldest of four children, having two brothers and one sister. His parents, Willie and Brigid, are deceased. His journey with Mill Hill began when he completed his Leaving Cert in 1986 and went to Dublin (Dartry); he studied philosophy and politics at Milltown Park. He then moved to Mill Hill, London, for theology and went to Uganda as a student for pastoral experience. He was ordained in his home parish in Waterford in June 1996. His first missionary appointment was to the French speaking Diocese of Ngaoundere in North Cameroon, where he enjoyed his ministry in this remote part of Africa - introducing people for the first time to Jesus Christ and also involved in dialogue with Muslim communities in the area. In 2003, he did a renewal course and for the following nine years worked with Mill Hill students in the Mill Hill Formation Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2013, he moved to Maidenhead, near Heathrow Airport, West London. Initially, he was involved in Mission Appeals in four diocese in the south of England. For the last four years, Liam has been and continues to be the parish priest of St. Edmund Campion parish in the Diocese of Portsmouth. Liam is also involved in the chaplaincy to the Women’s Prison of Bronzefield and to the Irish Traveller Community.

Spring 2021

A TABLE OF HOPE A Modern Filipino Painting of the ‘Last Supper’ (This article is based on an article by Joseph Peter Calleja, Manila, UCANews) Filipino artist Joey Velasco died from kidney cancer in 2010. He was 43. His work continues to raise awareness among many by showing the sufferings of Christ and Philippine society through his paintings. His widow Queeny says that despite battling cancer, Joey would still paint and finish his artwork “He found hope and healing by expressing his faith through his paintings,” she says. Velasco’s paintings show a people’s struggle in dealing with poverty and corruption.

One of Joey Velasco’s works is this modern painting of The ‘Last Supper’ - ‘A Table of Hope’. The painting shows Jesus eating not with his apostles but with a group of street children in a run-down storeroom. They are not even eating at a table but on a huge delivery box used for cargo shipments. 22

Spring 2021

One of the children is holding a stolen bag. Another is eating on the ground together with a cat with perhaps food scraps from the garbage. These were children that Joey knew on the streets of Manila. Everyone in the painting was a depiction of a real child Velasco met and helped with his foundation. Some of them are very young. “The painting reveals a story of greater hunger than a plate of rice could satisfy. What these children are starved of is love, not merely material food,” - Velasco once said. Some of the children’s stories Every child in the painting has a story. Velasco knew them and wrote about each of them and how the children inspired him in his work. These are a few of their stories: • Tinay was a little girl who nibbled her thumb and carried her old and dirty doll. She was an orphan after her drugdependent parents left her with relatives who abandoned her in the streets. • Michael was known to be a “chef of a garbage cooking.” He scavenged and lived on left over food from restaurants in Manila. He cooked to feed his siblings. • Buknoy was begging on the streets of Manila. He was beaten by his mother and his brother poured boiling water on Spring 2021

his forehead, which forced him to leave home. • Joyce was sexually molested when she was 14. She had a baby at 15. The father of her child was arrested for illegal drugs, so she had to look after her child alone. • The one eating scraps on the ground with a cat was inspired by a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo in 1994. Poverty and the Love of God Joey Velasco said there were two things common to all the children — poverty and the love of God. “All of them are poor. All of them have sad family backgrounds — that is why they ended up abused and on the streets. But they are all loved by Jesus. Jesus was with them despite their poverty” he said. “They have a firm trust in God as a compassionate, loving father. They have nothing. They really live a hand-to-mouth existence. But they smile and say: ‘We live on the mercy of God.’ These poor children hold on to the truth that God will never abandon them, even if the walls of the earth crumble down.” It is clear from what he said about the children that Joey was a deeply spiritual man. We can see his faith in Jesus and his great love and concern for the children. The painting expresses this very well. 23

Mill Hill’s First Mission:

African Americans in Southern States by Fr Robert O’Neil mhm

(Between 1871 and 2006, thousands of students went in and out the main door of St Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London. I was one of them and, like so many others, I never paid much attention to the stone carving (see photo above) over the door and the message it conveyed. Fr O’Neil’s article is a revelation for many of us Mill Hill members. He points out that the carving shows what was in the mind and heart of our founder Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. It reveals his great concern for oppressed people, especially the African Americans; in the carving there is a figure of a Black American person with the chains of slavery hanging from his wrists. - Editor) 24

A recent message from the Cameroon mission recalls the ordination of Fr Elvis Berka in Kumbo fourteen years ago. Fr Elvis wrote that there will soon be twenty-six ordained Cameroonian members of the Mill Hill Missionaries. Therefore in Cameroon and throughout the Mill Hill community there are a growing number of members who belong to a new generation. With the closure and sale of St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, in 2006, these members have never walked up to the main entrance of St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London, and saw the ‘relief’ above the doorway. There may also be members who are unaware of our founder’s travels to the American States in the South and the Spring 2021

Front of St. Joseph’s College - statue of St. Joseph on tower. promises of the first missionaries from from his wrists. This person and the Mill Hill to work exclusively for the other figures representing the oppressed Black population of the United States reveal what was in the mind and heart of shortly after the Civil War. our founder, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, when he started Mill Hill. The figures reveal his great concern for oppressed This carving reveals the mind and heart people everywhere; in particular, the of our Founder, Herbert Vaughan Black person with the chains showed In the photo (previous page), we see the his concern for African Americans; this stone carving (relief) that was above the can be traced back to when he travelled main entrance of Herbert Vaughan’s St to America in 1863 to raise funds for his Joseph College at Mill Hill in London; missionary college. building of the college started in 1871 and the carving dates from around that time; it was the work of James Forsyth, RA. It shows a seated Jesus with figures representing the oppressed of the world in the late 19th century.

Clearly to the left of the seated Jesus is a figure of a Black person praying for help, the chains of slavery hanging Spring 2021

Following on from this concern, Mill Hill’s first mission started when our founder answered a call to serve the Black population of the United States after the Civil War, when he arrived with four new missionary priests in Baltimore in December 1871. The new missionaries had made a special public promise at Mill Hill before they left: 25

“To render my work more amply fruitful, I promise and vow that I will show myself a father and servant to the African-American people. I will undertake no other work whatsoever which could lead me in any way to neglect or give up this special service.

What he saw shocked him

In his notebooks Herbert Vaughan recorded visits to St Louis, Memphis, Charlestown, New Orleans and Mobile, among other places. What he saw of the treatment by white Americans of African Americans shocked him. He wrote to Elizabeth Herbert that “the dislike of Americans” for “the negroes … far exceeds in intensity anything I had expected.” His notes are a product of his enquiring mind applied to the material and spiritual condition of the African-American population in each of the places he visited. From the original Mill Hill priests that went to Baltimore in 1871 was born a new Society devoted exclusively to work among African Americans: they became known as the Josephites

and expanded their work throughout the Southern States. In 1993, they celebrated one hundred years of service to the Black community. Their contribution was remembered at the National Shrine in Washington by busloads of Black Catholics from all over the United States. The Josephites are proud of their origins at Mill Hill, and of our common founder – Cardinal Herbert Vaughan.

7 Mill Hill Ordinations (In addition to these 7, there were 4 Mill Hill Ordinations in India. These were featured in the Spring 2020 Advocate.)

1. Estrevencion Blas John Garde was ordained on July 27, 2020, in the Cathedral, Iloilo City, the Philippines. Blas has been appointed to Hyderabad, Pakistan. 2. Emmanuel Ngeh Abonge was ordained on August 12, 2020, in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Archdiocese of Bamenda, Cameroon. Emmanuel has been appointed to Antique, the Philippines. 3. Patrick Bongmoyong Ndzedzeni was ordained on September 5, 2020, at Immaculate Conception Parish, Tobin, Diocese of Kumbo, Cameroon. Patrick has been appointed to Kisumu, Kenya.

Mission in the Name of Jesus

Herbert Vaughan placed the stone carving over the doorway of St Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, because it represented how he viewed the world and how he hoped the missionaries trained at Mill Hill might follow Jesus. They would try to care for oppressed people, the last and the least, those on the bottom rung of the human hierarchy, in the name of Jesus. In doing this they would be following what Fr Vaughan did as a young man. This was what he wanted as his advice to students reveals: “answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.”

4. Patrick Lonkoy Bolengu was ordained on September 20, 2020, at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Diocese of Basankusu, DR Congo. Patrick has been appointed to Kinshasa, DR Congo. 5. Blaise Manjong Forbi was ordained on October 17, 2020, at St. John the Baptist Parish, Foncha Street, Bamenda, Cameroon. Blaise has been appointed to Sibu, Malaysia. 6. Herman Menjuan was ordained on October 25, 2020, at St. Joseph’s Formation Centre, Chelsea Marina, Nairobi, Kenya. Herman has been appointed to Taytay, the Philippines. 7. Glenn Subiaga Dumali was ordained on October 28, 2020, at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Roxas, Archdiocese of Capiz, the Philippines. Glenn has been appointed to Lugazi, Uganda.

Spring 2021

Caring for Our Common Home Many Species in Nature at Risk of Extinction By Fr Jim O’Connell, MHM

at risk Many species of birds are 28

I was born to a farming family near the village of Scartaglen, in the Sliabh Luachra area of East Kerry. From an early age, I loved to walk the fields, especially the high fields that sloped down to the glen. I would sometimes sit there gazing at the view of nature in that quiet place. Stretches of the glen were hidden under a dense blanket of bushes, briars, sallies and willows. High ditches separated the fields; these were also covered with briars and bushes, with an occasional blackthorn or whitethorn tree, an alder tree or sycamore. The presence of some fuchsia added colour. A short distance up the glen, there was an area of bog with swampy patches. There was an abundance of wildlife in that area. It was home to the rabbit, hare, fox and badger. One could sometimes see a pheasant, grouse and other birds there. There were lots of frogs - fascinating little creatures; we were told not to harm them as they are blessed.

colour, beauty and mystery. There was always an abundance of insects. The butterflies and the bees stood out and caught our attention. If we happened to disturb a nest of bees, we would have to run away as fast as we could. While growing up in the nineteen fifties was difficult, with plenty of hard work, we had a great awareness of nature, with its variety of species of trees, plants, flowers, birds, insects, etc. Sadly, these days, many species are in real danger of extinction because of human activity. Scientists “believe that 1 million species (of an estimated 8 million) are at risk of extinction in the next two to three decades”

As a boy, I was familiar with the sound of the cuckoo and the corncrake. I remember the small birds twittering and singing: the blackbird, the thrush, the sparrow and the lark in the clear air. I have special memories of the swallows. They often darted and dived as they swooped and swerved over our heads when we went about our work on the farm and in the farmyard.

Extinction of many species On May 6, 2019, the publication of what is called ‘The Global Assessment Report’ confirmed that many species in the world of nature are seriously at risk of extinction, unless firm action is taken to reverse what is happening. The conclusions in the Report are very alarming, to say the least. Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC, comments: “More than 450 scientists worked on the ‘Global Assessment Report’ over a three-year period. It is the largest and most comprehensive assessment on the health of nature ever published. Reading it is a chilling experience as it spells out the appalling damage humans have caused during the past four decades.

Here and there in the fields, there were flowers: daffodils, bluebells, primroses, daisies, violets, buttercups and many other varieties. For my young eyes, these flowers were full of

It also tells us the kind of world we are leaving for future generations… The authors believe that one million species are at risk of extinction in the next two to three decades. The abundance of native

Spring 2021

Huge decline in numbers of pollinators, be es, etc.

has ber of frogs m u n e th , 0 9 Since 19 40 per cent. declined by 29

species in most major land habitats has fallen by a fifth since 1990. For example, frogs and amphibians have suffered a horrendous 40 per cent decline… In the oceans, nearly a third of coral reefs around the world have been destroyed in four decades. Incredibly, a third of marine mammals are also threatened. Overfishing is devastating the oceans… One third of fish populations are overexploited.” (Sean McDonagh, SSC, Article in the Irish Times, May 28, 2019)

(Pope Francis: Laudato Si’ - On Care for Our Common Home - 14)

(Up until 11/11/2020)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on the souls of: James (Jimmy) Curtis, uncle of Fr Joe Whelan, MHM Kathleen Murphy, aunt of Fr Philip O’Halloran, MHM MEMBERS Rev. Bishop Francis Lagan, Very Rev. Peadar De Burca, Fr Michael Lane, Fr Richard Crowe, Fr Colm Kilcoyne, Sr Brigid Breen, Sr Hyacintha Hudson, Sr Mary O’Halloran, Sr. Carmel Scanlan RSM, Mary Bowes, Melia Boyle, Philomena Bradley, Peggy Burke, Olive Byrne, John Cantillon, Mary Carmody, Doreen Carter, Alice Colfer, Michael John Conlon, Teresa Cooney, Bill Corcoran, John Corr, Teresa Corr, Eilis Costello, Mary T. Costello, Patricia Cox, Seamus & Philomena Coyle. Nabla Coyle, Ita Cremin, Teddy Crowley, Evelyn Currams, Gabrielle Diamond, Agnes Doherty, Bridget Donaghey, Sheila Donnelly, Annie Dooley, Martin Dowd, Carmel Dowling, Sean Dowling, Rita Doyle, Margaret Duffy, Ken Dunphy.

Great need to stem tide of extinction We are left in no doubt about the seriousness of the threat to so many species in the natural world because of human activity. It is clear that we need to protect them and stem the tide of extinction of around 1 million of the estimated 8 million species of animals, plants, birds, fish and insects on earth that are at risk. Without fully understanding the scientific data, we can still see that we have major problems with climate change, global warming, plastic pollution, the possible extinction of so many species, and the huge decline in the number of pollinators (bees, etc). It is estimated that one third of some species of bees in Ireland are threatened with extinction. The scientists tell us that all these major problems derive from our human activity that contributes to the increase in greenhouse gases, especially carbon gas and methane gas.

OBITUARY LIST

“All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.”

Huge decline in nu mbers of pollinators - bees, etc

Many species of

insects are at ri

Spring 2021

Margaret Egan, Ellen Fadden, Patricia Farrelly, Agnes Farrell, Tess Farrell, Alice Feehan, Mary Feerick, Anne Fitzgerald, Breda Fitzpatrick, Peggy Fleming, Mary T Spring 2021

Flood, Muriel Flynn, Seamus Flynn, Delia Fox, Jim Friel, Esther Furlong, Noel and Mary Gallagher, Patrick and Mary Gallwey, Oliver Gavan, Mary Gavigan, Liam Gillard, Vincent Glynn, Nellie Greaney, Mary Haggan, Angela Hamilton, Thomas Harrington, Lucy Hastings McGrath, Francis Hayden, Mary Hayes (Lane), Josephine Healy, Margaret Healy, Peggy Heffernan, Mary A. Hennessy, Claire Henry, Anna Hoban, Cait Hogan, Mary Horkan, Bernadette Jordan, Maura Keane, Nellie Kent, Margaret Lardner, Christina Lawlor, Mary Lehane, PJ Lenihan, Alice Lennon, Nancy Leonard. Gerard Madigan, Joan Malone, Mary Mann, Margaret Mannix, Kathleen Markley, Susan Martin, Rita McAuley, Gretta McCabe, Mary Anne McCallion, Daniel McCarthy, Denis Bernard McCarthy, Rita McCauley, Christopher McCavana, Teresa McConnon, Ita McCutcheon, Nell McDermott, Kay McDermott, 31

Josephine McDonagh, Kitty McEnaney, Margo McEvoy, Mary McEvoy, Sean McGahey, Paddy McGloin, Kathleen McGoldrick, M B McGovern, Josie McGreal, Kay McGuinness, Mary McGurrin, Anne McInerney, Eleanor McKenna, Rose Ann McKenna, Valerie McKenna, Betty McLaughlin, Joe McLaughlin, Mary McMorrow, Sarah McNabb, Mary McSweeney, Tom Meehan, Bridie Minton, Bridget Mitchell, Ann Moggan, Thomas Mollahan, Francis Molloy, Liam J Moran, Marian Moylan, Leo Mulhare, Pat J Mulvey Jnr, Catherine Murphy, Jeremiah Murphy, John Murphy, Josephine Murphy, Mai Murphy, Mary Jo Murphy, Michael Murphy, Annie Nelson. Martina O’Brien, Bernard O’Carroll, Caoimhghin O’Loingsigh, Teresa O’Connor, Ann O’Donovan, Annie O’Donnell, Frances O’Donnell,

Finbar O’Donoghue, Finian O’Donoghue, Mary O’Donovan, Padraig O’Fathaigh, Theresa O’Hara, Brigid O’Hare, Mary O’Hare, Noreen O’ Mahony, Jack O’Reilly, Josephine O’Riordan, Nora O’Shaughnessy, Mary O’Shea, Athie O’Sullivan, Mary O’Sullivan, Hilary O’Sullivan, Maura Power, Kathleen Prenderville, Margaret Quinn, Mary Quinn, Mary Ellen Quinn, Pearse Quinn, Kathleen Rea, Ellen Reddin, Maisie Reynolds, Arthur Richardson, Nora Riordan, Esther P Roberts, Joe Rooney, John Ryan, Mary Ryan, Rita Ryan, Sheila Scannell, Christopher Seery, Eileen Shannon, Kathleen Shaw, Jim Smyth, Edward Somers, Joseph Stafford, Patrick Stanley, Bridie Stewart, Mary Sutton, Peter Tavey, Annie Thomas, Conor Tuohy, Daniel Tynan, Judy Victory, Kathleen Wall, Kathleen Watters, Mary Whooley, Billy Woods.

•

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

•

It promotes devotion to St. Joseph - our patron and protector

•

There are three issues per year plus a Calendar at Christmas. It is sent to all our members.

•

Membership is e10.00 per year, £7.00 for those in the sterling area, $12 for the U.S.

Important Notice about Data Protection All your personal data that we hold is being stored and protected in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) that became law in Ireland on 25/5/2018. This covers your name and address, as well as information about your donations for the missions, for Masses and for our Magazine (St. Joseph’s Advocate)

Renewal of Membership We have regular contact with most people on our mailing list but we have not heard from some people for some time. If you are in this group, please fill in your name/address below to renew your membership and continue to receive St. Joseph’s Advocate. If you do not wish to renew, please tick the cancel box.

Post the slip to: St. Joseph’s Advocate, Mill Hill Missionaries, 50 Orwell Park, Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535.

Please Remember the Missions in your will

Name ...............................................................................................................................

I bequeath to St Joseph’s Society for the Missions Inc, (Mill Hill Missionaries), 50 Orwell Park, Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535, the sum of

Address ........................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................

e..................................................................... free of duty

.........................................................................................................................................

to be applied for the general purpose of the said Society, and I declare that the receipt of the Rev. Director shall be a sufficient discharge of the same. 32

Spring 2021

.........................................................................................................................................

Spring 2021

RENEW

CANCEL

St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill St. Joseph’s

St. Joseph’s

Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries

St. Joseph’s

Advocate

Autumn 2019

Mill Hill Missionaries

Winter 2019

Spring 2020

Fr. Mathews Olili visiting a parishioner in Sarawak, Malaysia

St. Joseph’s

Winter 2018

Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries

Autumn 2020

Fr. Michael Gemanga, mhm. Read his story on page 22.

Spring 2020

St. Joseph’s

Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries

Winter 2020

ST. JOSEPH’S ADVOCATE MILL HILL MISSIONARIES 50 Orwell Park Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535 Tel: (01) 412 7707 Email: organisingmhm@gmail.com www.millhillmissionaries.co.uk 34

Spring 2021