Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Valentine McMurray 1905 - 1988 Fr. Valentine McMurray CP. On July Ist, 1988 the Mount Argus community and indeed the whole province was saddened at the death of one of it's most outstanding and loveable members. Fr Valentine passed away in St James’ Hospital, Dublin, a welcome death to him as his illness had been long and painful. Most of his life he had been a big, strong and healthy man but some years ago his feet had started to trouble him and that really was the start of final illness. This illness was considerably aggravated by the fall he had in the refectory about eighteen months before his death. The remains arrived at the monastery at noon on July 2nd and were removed to the Church at 7 p.m. that same evening. The Mass and interment took place at noon on Monday, July 4th. Fr Ignatius, Provincial was chief celebrant and homilist, remarking amongst other matters how fortunate we were to have Valentine as Provincial during a time of such great changes in the Church and Congregation following the Second Vatican Council. Our good friend Bishop Donal Lamont presided at the obseqies. Born in Limerick on August 29th.1905 he was baptised Anthony Francis McMurray. Very early in life he suffered the dreadful cross of the loss of both parents by death. An uncle and aunt (brother and sister) provided him with an excellent Catholic home, now in Lisbree, Co. Fermanagh. He received his primary education at the local elementary school and his secondary education at St Michael's Presentation College, Enniskillen. Early in life, at about the age of seventeen his thoughts turned towards the priesthood and the Religious Life. Near his home was the Passionist Monastery at St Gabriel's Retreat, the Graan, so naturally his thoughts focussed on the Passionist way of life as being the one to which God was calling him and this proved to be true indeed. He applied for admission to the Congregation and was accepted. For a little less than a year he was a postulant in Holy Cross Retreat, Ardoyne. In August, 1922 he entered the Graan and was clothed in the habit on September 27th of that same year. He was given the name Valentine and chose the Immaculate Conception as his devotion, a reflection of his love for the Mother of God. On September 28th, 1923 he was professed and afterwards, together with the other members of his class, was sent to the newly established Retreat at St Paul's, Ilkley in Yorksire. He was thus a member of the first class of students who studied at that foundation. Alter a year in Ilkley he and his class were transferred to Mount Argus where they spent the rest of their student life. Fr Valentine was a brilliant student,one of our most outstanding,and he was also a very keen sportsman. Ordained June 14th, 1930 he was shortly afterwards chosen to study philosophy at the Angelicum University in Rome while residing at the retreat of Sts John and Paul. He loved philosophy and could talk about it forever - almost! Graduating in 1933 he received his doctorate in Philosophy, Summa cum laude, the highest honour that could be obtained. Returning to the province he went to the Juniorate at Wheatfield House in Belfast and taught for a few months. Later in that same year he took up residence in St Mary's Retreat, Musselburgh in Scotland. Then he started the most important work of his life - teaching philosophy and later moral theology and dogmatic theology. A devoted teacher, his classes were brilliant and his explanations were clear, deep, simple, logical and practical. Moreover he always treated his students with the greatest courtesy and respect. Transferred to Mount Argus in 1938 he continued as lector until 1950. Having spent a few years as a missioner his next assignment was the charge of the parish of Prestonpans. He was a very popular and hardworking parish priest. Next we find him in St Mungo's, first as vicar (54-56) and then as rector (56-59). At the 1959 Provincial Chapter Fr Valentine was elected first Consultor and at the subsequent Chapter in 1962 was elected seventh Provincial of St Patrick's Province, a position he was to hold for the next twelve years, the longest term of reign of any Passionist Provincial of St Patrick's Province. His term of office covered the period of time during which the greatest changes in the Church and in the Congregation took place in modern times. The year he was elected saw the beginning of the Second Vatican Council and Valentine was exactly the right man to guide the Province during those critical years. He could understand change, he could accept change, and he could gently persuade others to accept. During his Provincialate he took steps to see that the education of our students was very much improved. A lover of study himself he inspired many others with a similar love. During that time also two houses of the province were sold, they were St Mary's Retreat, Drum-Mohr and St Michael's Dankeith, both in Scotland. A large study house built during that period also proved to be unnecessary and was sold to the North Western Health Board. In 1974 Valentine relinquished all office and lived the rest of his life happily and fruitfully engaged in the local apostolate in Mount Argus. He loved this work and looked forward each week to his special day of duty on a Thursday. He was also very happy to assist an invalid priest in the concelebration of Mass. A big cross of his latter years was failing eyesight, a very big cross indeed for a man so keenly fond of studies, but he never let that depress him. How should we sum up this Passionist; this dedicated priest; this profound scholar; this genial and good humoured man? He was a big man in every way, body and soul, yet he had that charming gentleness that so often goes with bigness - he was a gentleman and a gentle man. (Taken from Provincial Newsletter, February 1989)
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.