Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. Jeremias Donovan (1904-1999) CBITUARY NOTICE of. FR, JEREMIAS DONOVAN, C.P. KKKKKKKE KKK EKER Fr. Jeremias was the last surviving member in England of the Anglo-Hibernian Province which was divided in 1927. He was born in Bickerton Road in our Highgate parish on 3rd. December, 1904, the son of John Donovan and Alice Donovan née Child; he was christened George. ; No one seems to remember which primary school he went to, but in all probability it was our own school of St.Joseph’s on Highgate Hill. He received his secondary education at the North London Polytechnic. At the age of 18 he entered the Passionist novitiate in Enniskillen, -Co.Fermanagh and received the name of Jeremias of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Professed on 22nd October 1924, he did his studies. for the priesthood with his eleven classmates in Mount: Argus where he was ordained on 14th June 1930 After ordination he was sent to Rome to study at the Angelicum where he gained his licentiate in Philosophy. On his return to. England he was appointed Director of Students at Ilkley and Lector in Sacred Scripture. (Philosophy was being taught at that time by Fr. Martin Dougherty, also a Ph.L.) ; An able preacher with a powerful, resonant voice, Jeremias gave a number of parish. missions, but his main apostolate was parish work in Highgate and Sutton. Heé was an Army Chaplain during the Second World War and was.with the Forces at the landing on the Anzio beachhead on the occasion.of the invasion.of Italy by the Allies. There he was noted for his bravery, going amongst the soldiers ministering to the wounded and the dying, regardless of the grave danger he himself was in. After the war he was stationed in Highgate, and organized and conducted courses in Scholastic Philosophy for post-graduates in London. Fr. Jeremias found it difficult to come to terms with the liturgical changes intro- duced after the Second Vatican Council, so he continued to say Mass every day privately in Latin and in the pre-conciliar rite. And why not ? Whatever about the language, his celebration of the Holy Sacrifice was always truly "digne, attente ac devote" He had a special gift in dealing with boys both in Highgate and in Sutton. He did not organize them in scout groups or in Y.C.W Sections or the like; they were simply groups of his friends whom he formed and instructed in an informal way. And the boys responded to higwith respect, love and devotion. But let the "boys" speak for them- selves. Some of them, now grown merwith children and grandchildren of their. own, were present at his funeral and they gave both oral and written testimony to their mentor and friend. They reported the things he used to say to them: "The greatest joy in life is to give happiness to others" "Where there is no determinationto do what is right there can be no character." "The Stations of the Cross. are the strength of our lives." "It.is the Mass that matters." , . It says much for the influence Jeremias had on these youngsters that such maxims have remained fresh in their minds for fifty years and more. To describe the sort of man and priest Jerry was, I cannot do better than quote verbatim a tribute written by one of his “boys? now well on in years, who was present at the funeral Fr. Jeremiah was a loving, giving, jolly, ebulient man, a caring breath of fresh air who came into our liveswhen we were trying to recover from the war.... The school needed a playing field. ‘We can do that' he said, and with the help of the men of the parish and us boys, succeeded in providing a playing field which is still in yse today. A shower appeared as if by magic
2 2. in -the old cloakroom in the boys’ school... Trips to the baths in Cornwallis Street, Liverpool, followed by a walk to Goodison Park or Anfield was the menu on.most Saturdays. Holidays in St.David's, I1kleypnd hiking in. the Lakes ~[The Lake District])were arranged... If. someone couldn't afford to go away, ' funds used to appear from somewhere as if. by magic. He showed us the way and I hope we have not let him down. A man of God, a fine human being, he was our ‘Mother Teresa’ We allmiss him. .I am proud to have been one of his boys. What more need be said ? . _ "ol The last years of his life were spent in Sutton. He kept himself fit and well for “many years by his careful diet and by exercising by pacing. up and down the corridor every day if he could not get into the garden. When at last he was too frail and was .. in need of nursing care, he was admitted to the Augustinian Sisters' Nursing Home at Ince Blundell, Liverpool. In his last illness he was transferred to Southport General Hospital where he died peacefully on 2nd, March-1999. ~ At his funeral on Monday 8th March fifteen Passionist priests and two of the:diocesan clergy concelebrated Mass at noon. Fr.Bernard Leen from Herne Bay preached an excellent and moving panygeric. Three of our Brothers assisted at: the Mass. A number of Sisters of the Cross and Passion together with two of the sisters who cared for him in the Nursing Home and a representative. from the hospital where he died plus many of his friends and the Sutton parishoners were in the congregation. A choir Of young boys led the congregation in singing jn. plainsong the ordinary of the Mass ~- a fitting and inspired tribute both to Jerry's love of the fiatin Mass and to his’ apostolic work with boys. His death marks the end of an era in our Province. May he rest in peace. The. Obsequies at the graveside were carried out by Fr.Nicholas, Provincial. | SG lies L Fr. Ignatius, C.P. pp Fr Provincial ; ad] . PS. The only surving member now of the Anglo-Hibernian Province is Fr.Ultan Devine ; in St.Patrick's Province.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.