Society of African Missions- Irish Province
Born in the Archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland 4 July 1936
He became a member of our Society 24 June 1956
Ordained to the Priesthood 21 December 1962
1963—1973 Diocese of Benin City, Nigeria
1973—1978 Bishop’s Secretary, Diocese of Issele-Uku, Nigeria
1978—1983 Provincial Councillor & Superior, SMA House, Wilton, Ireland
1983—1985 Anglophone Secretary, SMA Generalate, Rome, Italy
1985—1986 Assistant to the Superior, African Missions, Dromantine, Ireland
1987—1991 Vice Superior & Bursar, SMA House, Blackrock Road, Cork, Ireland
1991—1993 Seconded to the British Province, Formation House Staff, London, England
1993—1995 Rector, SMA Formation House, Lyonsdown Road, London, England
1996—2004 Seconded to the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland
2004—2011 Vice Superior & Bursar, African Missions, Dromantine, Ireland
2011—2016 Bursar, African Missions, Dromantine, Ireland
2016—2020 Assistant to the Superior, African Missions, Dromantine, Ireland
2020—2023 Retired, African Missions, Dromantine, Ireland
2023 Transferred to St Theresa’s Nursing Unit, Blackrock Road, Cork, Ireland
Fr Peter died unexpectedly and peacefully in St Theresa’s Nursing Unit, Blackrock Road, Cork, on 9 July 2024, aged 88 years.
After his Ordination in 1962, Fr Peter was appointed the Diocese of Benin City, Nigeria where he served for 10 years. Following the creation of the Diocese of Issele-Uku, Fr Peter transferred there as Secretary to the Most Rev Bishop Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji, the first Bishop of the Diocese.
Fr Peter was recognized as an efficient administrator and it was not a great surprise when, at the Irish Provincial Assembly, he was elected by his confreres a member of the Irish Provincial Council [1978 – 1983]. At the same time, he was Superior of the SMA community in Wilton, Cork, which included those seminarians from Ireland and England undertaking their Spiritual Year programme.
After completing his term of office, the SMA Superior General invited Fr Peter to be his Anglophone Secretary at the SMA Generalate in Rome. In 1985, Fr Peter returned to Ireland and was appointed to our House in Dromantine, Newry, Co Down.
From 1987 to 1991, Fr Peter was the Vice Superior and Bursar in the SMA House, Blackrock Road, Cork. He then gave four years of service in the British Province, following which he returned to his home diocese of Elphin where he ministered in local parishes for eight years.
In 2004, Fr Peter returned to Dromantine and over the next sixteen years, he served in different capacities there, including Bursar, Vice-Superior etc. He took great joy in overseeing the extensive grounds of our Retreat and Conference Centre. In 2020, he retired from his different posts and continued to live in Dromantine.