Fr Michael McGowan 1929-2025

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Fr Michael died on Tuesday, 11th February, in Lisheen Nursing Home, Rathcoole, in his 96th year (see rip.ie).  His remains were received in the Church of the Holy Family at 6 p.m. on the 13th and the funeral Mass was held on Friday 14th at 12 p.m. He was then taken for burial in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, where he was from. (The removal may be viewed here and the funeral here.)  

Above is a photo of what was placed on or beside the memorial (or remembrance) table. On it are a liturgical vestment, prayer book and the Missal. Beside it we see two 'class pieces', the 1953-'54 group photo of the Third Divinity Class in St Patrick's College, Maynooth (left), and the 1955 photo of the ordination class of Holy Cross College, Clonliffe. Michael is first left, second row from the bottom, in the Maynooth piece, and third left, top row, in the Clonliffe one. As do wedding photos, these photos illustrate a turning point in a life. As can be seen, the priestly life was a very real option in the Ireland of the 40s, to such an extent, indeed, that there was no room for young Michael in his native diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, obliging him to look further afield. Fr Michael then chose Dublin and lived out his vocation to the full for nearly seventy years, his final parish after Ballymore Eustace (1992-2004) being our own. (We reported on his 90th birthday in 2019 here.)

He lived happily and served devoutedly among us, residing in St Patrick's Cresent in the house previously occupied by Fr Patrick McAuliffe (1924-2006) of Charleville (Cloyne diocese). They were both ordained in Clonliffe, five years apart. (Photo below shows list of Maynooth students for Dublin diocese, the asterisk indicating those ordained in Clonliffe, not in Maynooth.)

We remember Fr Michael, then, and his predecessor Fr Paddy as well as all the priests and religious that gave their lives so generously and so nobly in those decades to the service of others, this being the calling they discerned to be theirs in those times. Michael had the example of his older brother Myles (1920-1988) who served in America (see his obituary here) and both of them had the example of their uncle, another Myles (1913-2009, see here), who served in America (see here, where we notice his very impressive service during WW2). Fr Michael even followed his uncle in terms of length of life, they both being very fortunate to live till 96 (96th year for Michael)! With this impressive line of priestly succession in the family, Fr Michael was then, naturally, concerned at the inexplicable decline in the number of vocations for the priesthood in Ireland today and, as Fr John said in his sermon, used tease him on the far-from-impressive results of his missionary efforts in this regard. Yes, a mystery there, but as our synodal journey and this Jubilee Year of Hope encourage us to do, Providence, we cling to believing and hoping, is still at work throughout it all.

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