Société des Missions Africaines –Province d’Irlande
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né le 31 mars 1915 à Tullyvin dans le diocèse de Kilmore, Irlande membre de la SMA le 18 juin 1938 prêtre le 18 juin 1938 décédé le 30 avril 1990 |
1939-1950 Asaba – Bénin décédé à Manchester, Grande-Bretagne, le 30 avril 1990, |
Father Joseph Anthony G. CONBOY (1915 – 1990)
Joseph Conboy was born in Tullyvin, Co Cavan, in the parish of Kilsherdany, in the diocese of Kilmore, on 31 March 1915. He died, unexpectedly, at Manchester Royal Infirmary, on 30 April 1990.
Although born in Co Cavan, Joseph (Joe) was raised in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. He studied at St. Malachy’s college, Belfast, between 1926 1933, before joining the Society’s novitiate and house of philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in the autumn of 1933. He studied theology in the Society’s seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down. Joe was admitted as a member of the Society on 30 June 1935 and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman’s cathedral, Newry, on 18 December 1938. He was one of a group of eleven ordained on that day.
Joe returned to Dromantine for six months after his ordination to complete his theological course. He was then appointed to the vicariate of Western Nigeria, the first mission in Nigeria to be confided to the Province, in 1918. Joe sailed for Nigeria on 18 October 1939, accompanied by several of his confrères including two classmates also appointed to Western Nigeria (Simon Styles and J.J. Hilliard). On his arrival, Patrick J. Kelly, who was shortly to be nominated vicar apostolic and bishop (in December), appointed Joe to Ubiaja where he did his tyrocinium under the guidance of Tom Greene. During this time he learned the Igbo language, studied local culture and undertook supervised pastoral work. After six months he passed his examination enabling him to hear confessions in Igbo. His examiner was Paul Emecete, Nigeria’s first Catholic priest, ordained on 6 January 1920. Joe was now appointed to Asaba district, where Tom Duffy was superior. Asaba had been the seat of the vicariate until 1938 when Bishop Leo Taylor, the vicar apostolic, transferred it to Benin City.
Founded in 1888 under the patronage of St. Joseph, Asaba mission and its many outstations had a Catholic community of over 4,000 members and 400 catechumens. In March 1942 Joe was appointed vice principal of St. Thomas’ teacher training college, Ibusa, where Patrick M. Kelly was principal. This college had been founded in 1928 by Bishop Thomas Broderick (first vicar apostolic) to provide teachers for the growing number of elementary schools. Sexton Cahill, the ‘visitor’ (responsible for the welfare of the confrères) informed the Irish Provincial, Stephen Harrington, that ‘Fr. Conboy is a keen contributor to the Nigerian Catholic Herald (the national Catholic weekly) and seems to put his whole heart and soul into every effort. In January 1943 the vicariate was re named ‘the vicariate of Asaba Benin’. It was to become the diocese of Benin City in 1950.
Joe went on his first home leave in September 1945. On his return to Nigeria, a year later, he was assigned to Lokoja parish. In August 1947 he was appointed superior of Okene mission. Two years later he was posted to the staff of St. John Bosco’s teacher training college, Ubiaja, serving there until he next went on leave in June 1950. Joe was to minister in Benin City diocese until 1962. During these years he taught once more in St. Thomas college, served as parish priest of Okene, and was supervisor of schools, based at St. Columba’s, Agbor (from 1954). From 1957 he was superior at Sapele, and from 1960 he served on the staff of St. Paul’s minor seminary in Benin City. Briefly, before he was invalided home, he served at Okpara Inland mission.
Joe returned to Ireland in January 1962 and entered hospital in Dublin. After a short period of convalescence, he took up a post in Nottingham diocese, at the Sacred Heart presbytery, 72 Mere Road, Leicester. In October 1963, after a year in Leicester, Joe fell ill once more and returned to hospital. However he was well enough to attend the silver jubilee celebrations of his ordination in Blackrock Road on 18 December 1963, and spent Christmas with his family at Carrigfergus. Joe sought a new appointment early in 1964 and was seconded to the British district of the Society which was in the process of being formed into a Province. In 1968, when the British Province was formally established, Joe became a member. Throughout Britain Joe undertook, on behalf of the young district and Province, appeals for funds, appeals for vocations, and appeals for prayer. In December 1988 he celebrated 50 years of priesthood, but did not retire, continuing his appeals Sunday after Sunday, until the end.
Joe had a splendid physique; height, weight and build blended perfectly. On the missions he had a very serious car accident in 1956, ploughing into the back of an unlighted parked lorry after dark. It was his physical strength that brought him through. Joe was a man of exceptional creativity, endowed with a talent for music and singing. In his younger days he had a reputation as an acrobat. Among the instruments with which he loved to entertain were the piano and the banjo. He was also able to compose pertinent ballads whenever the occasion demanded, which he sung in his fine baritone voice. Needless to say his musical talent was used to great advantage in Africa in the performance of the liturgy. He composed a number of hymns, including one in honour of ‘Our Lady of Nigeria’, during the run up to Nigerian independence, for which Bishop Kelly gave his Imprimatur. Moreover, acquiring a good knowledge of Igbo and of the customs of the people, he learned also to sing their songs and dance some of their dances. Joe was a older brother of Martin Conboy, who became a member of the Society in 1942 and laboured for many years in Ilorin.
He is buried in Wilton cemetery.