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Why Have an Archive?

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GLOWING EMBERS Issue No. 6 Spiritan Heritage & Archives Centre February 2019 Why have an Archive? ur archive collects papers, files, records, photographs, maps, Spiritan writings, and biographies. The why of it all, in my Ounderstanding, is threefold: to promote virtue, to protect rights and to preserve history. Virtue: Our archival materials are fragments of narratives filled with the stories of missionary lives. These materials are generative; transforming us by allowing us an encounter with great men. Virtue and character can be learned from our moral exemplars. Storytelling plays a big role in the promotion of virtue. Our missionary stories can awaken love for what is good. Narratives can give us the cognitive understanding which we in turn need to translate into virtuous action in our own days. In archives we can watch others who have acquired the virtues to help us to choose the good life. Archives give us a clue as to the meaning of human flourishing . We are led to realise that there is more to life than getting and spending, and that the only truly rewarding life stories are the stories of virtuous lives. Irish Spiritans Remembered Rights and reputations: Archives have a core purpose in protecting Volume II was launched by the name and reputation of Spiritans. Archives are the usual source Fr. Marc Whelan on for historical research and operate in the service of historians. The 14 August 2018. This volume archives must always maintain and safeguard evidence of the rights with 311 entries covers the and reputations of individual Spiritans and Spiritan communities. period from 1998 to 2018. This evidence is preserved in a well-regulated and systematic way. The archivist develops skills ensuring the retention of evidence for the upholding of rights and reputations. History: Archives are a vital guardian of Spiritan history. What is lost is gone forever. All histories are interactive which invite us to new understandings by opening up new worlds to us. They generate new questions, new levels of critical reading as they come to be read in different and unprecedented contexts. They tell us that there is more to be found. They bring us into distinctive landscapes. Spiritan histories are part of our biography. They fill us with a sense of astonishment at the range of human expression and experience that can be counted as Spiritan. Many have never visited the Archives, passing by without knowing what happens there. Our archives are the guarantor which ensures that this province will have a history –a history that calls each Spiritan to account. Fr Paddy Leonard with Mr Liam Cosgrave, Brian O’Toole (An Taoiseach 1973-77) Spiritan Heritage & Archives Centre – Glowing Embers 2 – February 2019 The Spiritans and the Early Years of Concern 1 Séamus Maguire of darkness. Under the auspices of Caritas Internationalis , this initiative grew into Joint Church Aid. Fr Tony, assisted by Fr Tom Cunningham and Fr Billy Butler managed an airlift which grew to 35 flights a night carrying up to 350 tons of supplies. Fr Dermot took up residence in Lisbon where he remained for the duration of the war and the relief effort. He established himself there as liaison officer. Within Biafra Spiritans built and staffed the distribution network based at Iheoma. Fr Des McGlade and Fr Mick Courtney managed the warehousing and also a fleet of forty trucks to bring the food to feeding centres in every corner Rockwell Concern Walk of the enclave. 1n 1968 Michael Parkes presents cheque for 600 pounds to Vincent Grogan K.C. also in photo Left to Right: Frs Jim Hurley, Raymond Kennedy. In March 1968, Africa Concern was founded by Kay and John O’Loughlin Kennedy . On 28th n 14th-15th October June 1968 the Join Biafra 2018 more than 400 Famine Appeal was launched on Opast Concern staff and an ecumenical basis organised volunteers gathered at the by Fr Mike Doheny ; Bishop Joe Strand Hotel in Limerick to Whelan , the Catholic bishop of honour Concern’s 50 years of Owerri shared the platform with service. his Anglican counterpart, Bishop George Cockin . Many recalled and honoured the involvement of Spiritans during Fr Raymond took over day-to- the early years. day control of the organisation and its volunteers. Spiritans From 1967, Frs Raymond Frs Dick Quinn and Pat Clarke Kennedy , later executive L-R: Frs Denis Rodgers, served in Concern’s HQ during director of Concern and Billy Butler, Des McGlade its first decade of operation. Fr Dermot Doran made efforts to get first hand news reports One of the many unusual charter flight from Lisbon to to the media in Canada and the fundraising responses was an Biafra for journalists and USA. Another Spiritan involved offer of 25 horse-drawn cameramen from Europe and at this early stage was Fr Tony caravans made by Matt Murphy the United States. Byrne who was associated with of Cork. The theology students Caritas Internationalis , Rome. Fr Tony organised some relief from Kimmage Manor rose to Between them they organised a flights into Biafra under cover the challenge and accepted the 1 An article with this title, written by Kay and John O’Loughlin Kennedy in 2008 is available on request at E: [email protected] Spiritan Heritage & Archives Centre – Glowing Embers February 2019 – 3 In anticipation of future food needs in Biafra Fr Patrick (PJ) O’Connor had started co-operative agricultural initiatives designed to enhance the productivity of the small land holdings. In a collaboration with the Knights of St Columbanus a ship renamed the M.V. Colmcille was bought. It stayed in west Africa, transporting relief supplies along the coast and into the war zone. Fr Joe Fitzgibbon joined the crew as assistant engineer on its positioning voyage. Fr David Co-Founder of CONCERN John Loughlin Kennedy with Regan travelled to Saõ Tomé to President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. represent Africa Concern in conjunction with Joint Church Aid and to arrange the coastal offer. By taking different routes voyages of the Colmcille. they criss-crossed the length and breadth of Ireland Fr Jimmy Peters remained in collecting funds and publicising Libreville as Africa Concern the campaign. In Kerry they representative for the duration were greatly facilitated by of the war. He supervised the Fr Matty Murphy and by warehousing at Libreville and Fr Tony Hannon in Limerick. the deployment of two Most of the missionaries in chartered aircraft, despatching Biafra became relief workers. 350 flights and getting more Fr Jimmy Morrow became than 3500 tons of food and Africa Concern representative supplies through. in Ivory Coast when the transferred children’s rehabilitation centre Fr Kevin Doheny severely malnourished children was set up there and Fr Cothraí Mr Des Mullan (Evening Herald Fund) from the enclave to Gogan became their chaplain. with Colonel Ojukwu rehabilitation centres in Gabon and Ivory Coast In 1971 Fr Raymond Shipping Supplies recommended that Africa Concern be renamed as simply Concern. Fr Jimmy O’Toole acted as the first secretary of the new company. Fr Aengus Finucane joined Concern in Bangladesh in September 1972 and became field director there in 1973. Fr Aengus rose to be chief executive officer of Concern during the period of rapid development in the eighties and nineties and was ably assisted for some years by Fr Michael Reynolds who acted as company secretary. Glowing Embers – Spiritan Heritage & Archives Centre 4 – February 2019 Bishop Joseph Whelan spiritual and practical aspects of mission. He also got the theology students from Kimmage Manor involved in the training programme. Fr Jack Finucane at the Bishop Joe Whelan of Owerri, Fr Kevin Doheny with children unloading of supplies. east Nigeria was anxious to get Irish volunteers to teach in the schools in his diocese. Many Viatores Christi was founded in Fr Jack Finucane joined members of Viatores Christi the early ‘60s and it became a Concern and was appointed responded as did many others. major source of volunteers for field director in Ethiopia. In 1978 For several years, Aer Lingus Spiritan mission from the mid- he took over from Fr Aengus as hostesses, who were entitled to 60s onwards. field director in Bangladesh and travel at concessionary rates A remarkable collaborator with served in virtually every relief or during winter leave, flew to Spiritan mission in the 1960s development activity Concern Owerri to teach catechism for a was Mr Donnachadh Ó subsequently undertook. few weeks or months. Some Cinnéide . He was both an volunteers did secretarial and architect and an engineer. At administrative work with great The Spiritan initiatives in the request of Frs Raymond success and a few helped Lay Volunteerism Kennedy , Denis Foley , Seán Fr Raymond Kennedy to After Fr Michael Doheny was Lennon , Charlie O’Donoughue establish a printing facility and a appointed director of theology and Con Holly he drafted plans weekly newspaper, The Leader, at Kimmage Manor in 1960, he for churches at: Owerri, Obowo, which is still publishing and became Chaplain to Viatores Umukoroshe, Achina, Orlu and which circulates widely in and Christi . He involved Fr Jimmy Aba; bell-towers at: Onitsha and beyond the diocese of Owerri. O’Toole and Fr Raymond Owerri; school buildings at: Kennedy in giving talks on In the late 1950s and early Ahiara and Aba; and a hospital 1960s volunteers for work in at: Umulogho, Obowo. Spiritan missions recruited were [All of these drawings have mainly on a personal basis; For been preserved in the Spiritan example a missionary home on Archives in Kimmage Manor]. holidays would make their needs known through family Concern now operates under and friends. Fr Mike Doheny the official title of Concern who had worked in Nigeria was Worldwide .
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