Fifty years after he was ordained there, Fr Seán Murphy returned to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Rath, on Saturday last to celebrate his golden jubilee.
Surrounded by his parents Michael and Theresa and siblings, Fr Seán was ordained by Most Rev Dr Lennon, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin on April 29, 1973, the first and only to date, ordination in Rath Church.
Fourth in a family of 12 children, the missionary priest is from the ‘Murphys of the Farmyard’ family in Belgrove.
Having been educated in Rath National School and the CBS, Monasterevin, he spent two years working in the land registry office in the Civil Service in Dublin.
He then joined the Salesians and travelled on the missions to North East India where he spent six years.
He returned home in 1969 to study theology in St Patrick’s College. Africa has been the focus of his work over the years, encompassing Swaziland, now known as Eswatini, Lesotho and Johannesburg. He will return to Johannesburg next week at the age of 89.
While many people regard Johannesburg as a dangerous place, Fr Seán takes a more positive approach.
“Ah sure, we don’t think of that. I suppose there is a lot of upset. At the same time, people get on with their lives. Unemployment is their problem,” he said when speaking to LaoisToday last week.
“Crime would be fairly high, even murder, but that is increasingly all the time, all over the world.”
There are not many Irish priests left in his area. “Where I am, there are three Salesians: myself, Fr Marian who is Polish and Fr Emmanuel who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“It’s a parish and a technical school. I celebrate Mass as much as I can. I have visited a lot of houses over the years – that has been my strong point. I am very close to the people,” Fr Seán said.
The highlights of his years in Africa have, he said, have been the people. “All the wonderful people you meet from different cultures.
“They are a very enriching friendly people. If you are out walking, everyone would greet you. They are a very friendly people. Before I left to come up, they organised a small party for me.”
The governments in the parts of Africa in which he has been in are all trying to develop for the benefit of their people, he maintained. When asked about levels of corruption, he said: “Ah sure there is corruption everywhere.”
Shortage of priests hasn’t been a problem in Africa as lay people are being trained to officiate at funerals, teach Catechism, visit the sick and lead services on Sundays, according to Fr Seán.
He believes that the Catholic Church in this country can address the shortage of priests here by also adopting that approach.
“There is an interest in doing that. In Rath, quite a good few people have come forward to bring Communion to the sick and act as readers on Sundays.
“That is where the future is. People are interested once they are approached,” contended Fr Seán.
While he has been home every couple of years, he hasn’t been back for Christmas since 1972 but homesickness is not a problem.
“When you’re working you’re absorbed in your work. It’s nice to come home but I enjoy my work. I’m never bored or disappointed.”
Staying in his sister Mary’s house in Clanmalire Crescent, Portarlington, he has had the opportunity to catch up with his surviving siblings: Mick, Jim, Mary and Rose. Tom, Billy, Patrick, Dick, Con, Breedge and Tess have all passed away.
Fr Seán was delighted that Mary’s daughter, Vanessa, and Mick’s wife, Dodo, both called to see him while on their travels in the past.
Revelling in his busy and fulfilled missionary role, Fr Seán has no plans to retire. “If you stop, you’ll die. You will go to seed,” he laughed. “But I’m not doing as much as I used to.”
After Saturday’s mass with friends and family, a celebration was held in the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise.
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