We congratulate three Columbans from New Zealand and Australia who are celebrating 50 years of priesthood this month.
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Fr Anthony (Tony) McCarthy was born in Kyneton in Victoria, Australia. After completing his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Ballarat, he entered St Columban's Seminary to study for the priesthood. Fr Anthony was ordained on July 25, 1964 in St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, by Archbishop Simonds. After ordination, Fr Anthony was assigned to the Philippines where he worked on the southern island of Mindanao in parishes and schools for the next 15 years. In 1979, Fr Anthony was reappointed back to Australia where he spent the next 5 years doing Columban promotion work in dioceses across Australia such as Port Pirie, Sale, Hobart, Perth and Brisbane. He also took the opportunity to do a Clinical Pastoral Education course as preparation for hospital chaplaincy. He later took an advanced course in hospital chaplaincy. He returned to the Philippines in 1985 and continued to work in parishes on the island of Mindanao. After eight year back in the Philippines, Fr Anthony was reappointed back to Australia in 1993. He continues with hospital visitation in his home town of Kyneton where he is retired. |
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Fr Donald Hornsey was born in Morrinsville, New Zealand, where he completed his primary education at St Joseph's Convent School. After his secondary education at the Holy Name Minor Seminary in Christchurch, he went on to study for the priesthood as a candidate for the Archdiocese of Auckland. At the end of his second year of studies, he decided to join the Missionary Society of St Columban. He was ordained priest on July 4, 1964 in St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, by Archbishop Liston. After ordination Fr Donald was sent to study Liturgy and Theology at St Anselmo's College in Rome. Upon completion of his studies, he was appointed to the teaching staff at the Columban seminary at Turramurra, Sydney, where he remained for seven years. Leaving the role of Seminary Professor behind, Fr Don went on to spend the next 40 years in Latin America as a missionary and parish priest. He would spent 10 years in Chile, followed by 17 in Brazil and then at the age of 63, he went to the Quechua people high in the mountain valleys of the Andes Mountain Range in Peru where he remained for the next 13 years. |
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Fr Maurice John (Sean) O'Connor was born in Gate Pa, Tauranga, New Zealand. After completing his secondary school education at St Joseph's Masterton and St Patrick's, Silverstream, he entered St Columban's Seminary to study for the priesthood. Fr Sean was ordained on July 2, 1964 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Wellington, by Archbishop McKeefry. After ordination, Fr Sean was appointed to Latin America, travelling by ship to Lima, Peru, for Spanish language classes. Upon completion of his language classes, he was appointed to Chile. Fr Sean worked in Santiago from 1965-1973. From 1973-1978 he worked in Columban promotion and mission education in New Zealand. He returned to Chile in 1978 working in Santiago, Arica and Iquique until 1999, when he returned to New Zealand for several years. He went back to Chile in 2004 and worked in Iquique until 2013 when he retired to New Zealand. Fr Sean is presently the Parish Priest of Kaitaia, the most northern parish in New Zealand. |