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Father Pat

Biography

Born in Dublin 1942, the doctor who delivered me was singing, ‘Galway bay’, according to my mother. When my father saw me, his first words were, “he is like Joe Louis”. My fists were closed and up to protect my face. I was the second son and the second arrival into the family. My older brother decided to come into the world on the same date, but two years earlier.

The medium of Irish language was the immediate instrument for my education and made a lasting impression on the educational formation I may have received. There arrived two younger sisters to keep the gender balance. With my father we had two places of worship, the local Vincentian Church and Croke Park, (A local football stadium), I longed to be good at sport, but was totally useless. I was the youngest of my class in primary and secondary school, and academically, like as in sport, useless. For the last four years of my secondary schooling I was sent to boarding school. Maybe I was not studying and a little difficult to control. Two Franciscan friars had the good fortune to teach me and I thought by their gentle temperament, they were Gods gift to humanity. If a person could be like that, maybe their life could be worthwhile. It is a life worth living. So I gave the friars life a try. To this day I am still trying.

That effort took me to Killarney to be a novice, to the, ‘City of Tribes’, to attend University College Galway. For the last years in formation the Grace of God was given to me to pursue theological studies in Leuven, Belgium. Life has guided me into Chaplaincy in the School of Trades, Bolton St. Dublin. For six years I was the Parish Priest in a very culturally rich but economically poor parish in Inner City Dublin. Knowledge of the price of stolen copper, broken windows and their repairs and that not all syringes are in hospitals, became the order of the day. Another year was spent in Leuven to rediscover theology and nourish the faith dimension of my life. This brought about my first encounter with the flock at St Anthony’s in Kraainem. Next a reluctant acceptance of an appointment as Full-time Chaplain to a Community second Level school in North Wicklow went from one year to twenty-two. 

Now I am appointed to St Anthony’s. Are the people blessed or unfortunate!!!

I don’t know any famous people, celebrities or important people. I do know drug addicts, teenage parents, parents whose children have died violently and people with broken hearts however. Best of all I know thousands of happy people.

My parents were just great. My Da was surely my best friend. Sadly I never told him. My mother is still alive, and at ninety-two is struggling with ill-health. She gave her life for her family. 
Living for me is about what I become before God, not what I achieve. What you see is I hope what you get. 

 

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