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Fr Pat Baker

Memorial Mass For Fr Timothy Leonard

By Fr Pat Baker

Fr Tim Leonard
Fr Timothy Leonard (1893 – 1929)

Fr Timothy Leonard was ordained in 1918 for the Diocese of Limerick, Ireland, and joined the newly-established Society of St Columban that year. He was in the first group of Columbans to be assigned to China in 1920. He worked with Columban Co-founder Fr Edward Galvin for four years in Hanyang where Fr Galvin became the first bishop in 1927. Then he was assigned to Ireland in 1924 for two years of mission appeal work. He became a well-known figure, riding his bicycle from parish to parish in all kinds of weather.

Father Tim returned to Hanyang in 1926 and in 1928 was a member of the first group of Columbans to go to Nancheng where Columban Fr Patrick Cleary became the first bishop in 1938. While saying Mass there on the morning of 17 July 1929 a group of Communist bandits stormed into the church and attacked Fr Leonard. His vestments were torn off him, the ciborium with consecrated hosts was snatched from his hands and the hosts scattered on the floor and trampled on.

Memorial Mass For Fr Joseph Gallagher

By Fr Patrick J. Baker

‘He was . . . a perfect gentleman’. These words from the homily of Bishop Marlo M.

Fr Joe Gallagher
Fr Joseph Gallagher (1923 – 2013)

Peralta of Alaminos at a Memorial Mass for the late Fr Joseph Gallagher in Labrador, Pangasinan, echoed what everyone said about Father Joe at his funeral in Ireland, which your editor attended.

Fr Joseph Gallagher died in Ireland on 2 August at the age of 90. He had retired to Ireland in 2006, having spent 57 years in the Philippines, 22 of them in San Isidro Parish, Labrador, formerly part of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan but since 1985 part of the Diocese of Alaminos, Pangasinan.

One of Father Joe’s greatest services to the parish was to establish a parish school in 1954, St Columban's School, which is still flourishing. It was originally a high school, but for some years now it has had a large elementary department.

Because he was so dearly loved and remembered in Labrador the community there organized a Memorial Mass for him, celebrated in the parish church on Sunday, 25 August. The idea of having a Mass was first floated by the very active Alumni Association of the school under the presidency of Dra Corazon Macaraeg. But the whole parish wanted to be involved, especially the Parents/Teachers Association, the school, and various parish organizations. It was very obviously a joyful community celebration.