Fr John Dennehy RIP

Fr John Dennehy SSC

1933 - 2009

Fr John (Jack) Dennehy was born on 19th October 1933 in Connerough, Headford, Co Kerry.

Educated at St Joseph’s Primary School, Rathmore and St Brendan’s College, Killarney, he came to St Columbans, Dalgan Park in 1952 and was ordained in December 1958.

Appointed to the Philippines in 1959, he was assigned to the Archdiocese of Lingayen where he spent most of the next thirty years until 1988 in the parishes of Sual, Labrador, Lingayen Cathedral and most of all in Domalandan.

At that time Domalandan was a remote, yet highly populated place. Cut off from Lingayen by a deep wide river with no bridge, Fr Jack set about providing the community with their church and High School. To reduce costs he cut the lumber in the forest. To help the students defray expenses, he set up cottage industries and sold the items in the department stores in Manila. Having constructed a residence for himself he then turned it into an Elementary School.

A man for all seasons, whenever he was called upon by the Society for some task or other he never hesitated to respond. During this period he also set up the Procure House in Hong Kong, a rest home in Baguio City and for a period was assigned to the Filipino ministry in London. Fr Jack was on the Promotion team in Ireland 1988 – 1994.

Since 1994 he ministered in his home Diocese of Kerry in the parishes of Ballinskelligs and Cahirciveen. The people remember him especially for his empathy and understanding of human frailty. He worked tirelessly for the refurbishment of the parish church. He bore his final illness with great patience and was so grateful to the people for their concern and care. Jack died in St Anne’s Hospital, Cahirciveen on 1st July 2009, and will be buried in Cahirciveen.

May he rest in Peace.