John Heneghan

John Henaghan was an Irish priest, editor, and a member of the Maynooth Mission to China, who was murdered by the Japanese forces in the Battle of Manila in 1945. Henaghan was born in Louisburgh, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1882, the son of Walter Henaghan. He was educated at St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, and St. Patrick's College Maynooth.[1]

He was ordained in Maynooth, in June 1909, by the Archbishop of Dublin, William Walsh. During Easter Week 1916, he heard the confessions of Tuam Volunteers on their way to Athenry to joining the Easter Rising.[2][3]

During the Second World War, he was the superior of the Maynooth missionaries in the Philippines.

Death

On 10 February 1945, he was removed from Manila together with three other Columban priests, and killed by Japanese forces.[4] In February 1997, there was a monument erected in front of the Malate Church, in the memory of Heneghan, Fallon, Kelly, and Monaghan; his nephew and namesake, Monsignor John Henaghan of California attended the unveiling.[5]

There is a remembrance bench in the Mayo Peace park dedicated to Henaghan.[6]

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian decoration which the U.S can give to non-U.S. nationals, along with his confreres Fr. Kelly and Lawlor.[7]

Publications
  • White Martyrdom by The Rev. John Heneghan, Published by St. Columban's, Milton, Massachusetts (1946)
  • The Secret Scripture of the Poor by Rev. John Heneghan, Published by Clonmore and Reynolds, Ltd., Dublin (1951)
  • Father Damien Exemplar of Noble Deeds by Rev. John Heneghan, Published by Clonmore and Reynolds, Ltd., Dublin (1954)

References
  1. John Heneghan Archived 2017-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Columban Martyrs, Columban Website
  2. Fr John Heneghan, SSC Columban Missionaries Irish Bishops Conference September 2005 General Meeting, www.catholicbishopes.ie, 29 September 2005.
  3. Witness Statements - Patrick Dunleavy OC North Galway Brigade IRA Bureau of Military History, 1913-1922
  4. Northern Priest Killed by Japanese, Irish News, 4 April 2014.
  5. MANILA PARISH UNVEILS MONUMENT TO WORLD WAR II VICTIMS 24 February 1997.
  6. Remmbrance Bench John Heneghan www.tracesofwar.com
  7. Fr Patrick Kelly SSC
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.