FR John Walsh RIP
Fr John (Jack) Thomas Walsh died on September 7, 2007 at Manor Park Private Hospital, Lower Hutt, New Zealand. He was born on September 16, 1923. His immigrant Irish parents were William Walsh and Anne O’Brien from Kerry. Of their six children Jack was the second and the eldest son. Following his primary education at the local Public School in Okaiawa, Taranaki, he studied at St Patrick’s High School, Silverstream. For three years, prior to joining the Columbans, he worked on the family dairy farm at Okaiawa/Taranaki. |
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He was one of the first three students to enrol in 1944 when the Lower Hutt Columban House was opened for the Spiritual Year. Philosophy studies were at North Essendon, Melbourne, Australia, followed by theology at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, near Melbourne, Two other Columbans were ordained with Jack in 1950 at Werribee, Chris Baker (Peru) and John Griffin (Lower Hutt) along with seven Diocesans.
Fr Jack was assigned to the Philippines in 1951 and arrived in time to join the first group of Columbans who had just moved to the Province of Zambales in Luzon. His first appointment was to Subic where he studied Tagalog and at the end of that year he became the Parish Priest of Iba, the capital of the Province. During his first term in Zambales, his brother, Bill, was ordained for the Wellington Archdiocese and died within 3 years. His Mother also died during that first term.
At the end of his vacation in N, Z. in 1958 he was appointed to the ANZ Region where he became (1958-1965) House Administrator and Bursar in Sydney and then Spiritual Director of the Seminary from 1966 until to 1973.
On his return to the Philippines in 1974 he studied Tagalog again and ministered in the parishes of Santa Cruz, Acoje and Olongapo over the next thirteen years.
In 1987 he returned to New Zealand as Superior at Lower Hutt. In 1991 he returned to St Josephs Parish, Olongapo City. In 2000, his Golden Jubilee Year, he returned to Lower Hutt, New Zealand. With deteriorating health he went to Woburn Court Rest Home, Lower Hutt, in 2004, and later to Manor Park Private Hospital.
May his genial and gentle soul
now enjoy the fulness of God’s Kingdom!