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  Fr Patrick Clarke 22 March 1931 - 26 April 2022 Remember in your prayers the soul of Columban Fr Patrick 'Paddy' Clarke who died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday 26 April. Father Paddy worked for thirty years in Japan and when he came back to Ireland spent eleven years in St Jude's Parish, Templeogue, Dublin, not far from where he grew up. He was much loved there  for his gentleness and kindness and many of the parishioners attended his funeral here in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, this morning. A unique experience for me at Father Paddy's funeral Mass was that he had written the homily himself, based on  Deuteronomy 6:4-7 , the First Reading, and  Mark 12:28-34 , the Gospel, both of which he had chosen for his funeral Mass.  Y ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandmen...

Fr Donal Gerard Patrick O’Farrell  (29 October 1928 - 22 January 2018) Father Donal was born in Limerick on 29 October 1928 when the family lived in Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland. He was educated at Presentation Convent, Lismore, Christian Brothers' School, Lismore and St Joseph’s College, Ballinasloe, County Galway. He entered St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, in 1946 and was ordained priest there on 21 December 1953. St Senan's, Cahiracon, County Clare Father Donal suffered from tuberculosis, and while being treated for it he spent the first years after ordination in Ireland doing temporary pastoral work in Ardee, County Louth, in Clonfert, County Galway, and later serving for a four- year period as chaplain to the Columban Sisters at St Senan's, Cahiracon. In 1965, he was appointed to the United States and served in New Jersey, and then Philadelphia, before being transferred to Los Angeles where he served as bursar, superior, and in every other role over a ...