Page 42 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 42
sion in the presence of his family and
some friends in Milltown Park, on 29
December. It was not a sombre cere-
mony, but serious, courageous, and
trusting. The readings were David's
own choice, beginning with the voc-
ation of Abraham: 'Leave your coun-
try, your family, and your father's
house, for the land I will show you'. It
seemed to express not only his history
as a missionary, but also a constant
quality of detachment in his own life,
and his mysterious and painful destiny
to leave all things in death a few days
after his thirty-eighth birthday.
David Murphy, SJ
regency in Zambia. He returned to John Macken, SJ
Milltown Park for theology and was
ordained by Archbishop Ryan on 21 I came late to Gonzaga, joining Fourth
June 1974. year in 1962. I had already been in a
While he was in America that sum- Jesuit school, in Crescent College in
mer the brain tumour which finally Limerick, where I grew up, though I
killed him first came to light. Typically, was born in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
David was not prepared to make major Going to Gonzaga appealed to me. I
concessions to it or opt for the life of wanted a Jesuit school and had at the
an invalid. back of mind the idea that I might join
In 1977 he went back for a third the Jesuits. Gonzaga did little to hin-
time to Paris for pastoral theology. In der and much to reinforce the idea.
1978 he undertook what was perhaps The atmosphere, like the grounds, was
the most amazing adventure of all: he open, positive and encouraging, in fact
became prison chaplain in Copenhagen one might say sunny. The approach to
to those non-Danish prisoners who education was a broad one and most
spoke or could understand either of us enjoyed it thoroughly. What
English or French. His sense of added an extra spice to our year was
outrage at what he saw as the callous that we had in Paul Durcan a genuine
treatment of a fairly wretched group poet who kept us entertained with his
by a reputedly sophisticated society juvenilia.
was quick to surface and he did not My religious inclination was catered
hesitate to communicate it to others. for by Mass-serving (we cycled in early
He and a Mexican colleague were to school and home again for break-
awarded a substantial humanitarian fast) and Fr Sean Hutchinson's sod-
prize in Denmark for a report they ality as well as the excellent R.E.
drew up on the sufferings of prisoners programme. (I still preserve some note-
in solitary confinement. It was so like books from fourth year as well as
David that we learned of this only notes from a retreat in Rathfarnham
after his death. Castle which now have first-class his-
The last two years of his life were torical value!) I did in fact join the
spent between Tabor, Sherrard Street, Jesuits in 1962 and to my surprise I
and St Luke's Hospital. He was too had two companions: David Murphy
weak to undertake the Tertianship. and Frank Roden. It was a surprise
Instead, he made his solemn profes- because each of us had kept the de-
40
some friends in Milltown Park, on 29
December. It was not a sombre cere-
mony, but serious, courageous, and
trusting. The readings were David's
own choice, beginning with the voc-
ation of Abraham: 'Leave your coun-
try, your family, and your father's
house, for the land I will show you'. It
seemed to express not only his history
as a missionary, but also a constant
quality of detachment in his own life,
and his mysterious and painful destiny
to leave all things in death a few days
after his thirty-eighth birthday.
David Murphy, SJ
regency in Zambia. He returned to John Macken, SJ
Milltown Park for theology and was
ordained by Archbishop Ryan on 21 I came late to Gonzaga, joining Fourth
June 1974. year in 1962. I had already been in a
While he was in America that sum- Jesuit school, in Crescent College in
mer the brain tumour which finally Limerick, where I grew up, though I
killed him first came to light. Typically, was born in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
David was not prepared to make major Going to Gonzaga appealed to me. I
concessions to it or opt for the life of wanted a Jesuit school and had at the
an invalid. back of mind the idea that I might join
In 1977 he went back for a third the Jesuits. Gonzaga did little to hin-
time to Paris for pastoral theology. In der and much to reinforce the idea.
1978 he undertook what was perhaps The atmosphere, like the grounds, was
the most amazing adventure of all: he open, positive and encouraging, in fact
became prison chaplain in Copenhagen one might say sunny. The approach to
to those non-Danish prisoners who education was a broad one and most
spoke or could understand either of us enjoyed it thoroughly. What
English or French. His sense of added an extra spice to our year was
outrage at what he saw as the callous that we had in Paul Durcan a genuine
treatment of a fairly wretched group poet who kept us entertained with his
by a reputedly sophisticated society juvenilia.
was quick to surface and he did not My religious inclination was catered
hesitate to communicate it to others. for by Mass-serving (we cycled in early
He and a Mexican colleague were to school and home again for break-
awarded a substantial humanitarian fast) and Fr Sean Hutchinson's sod-
prize in Denmark for a report they ality as well as the excellent R.E.
drew up on the sufferings of prisoners programme. (I still preserve some note-
in solitary confinement. It was so like books from fourth year as well as
David that we learned of this only notes from a retreat in Rathfarnham
after his death. Castle which now have first-class his-
The last two years of his life were torical value!) I did in fact join the
spent between Tabor, Sherrard Street, Jesuits in 1962 and to my surprise I
and St Luke's Hospital. He was too had two companions: David Murphy
weak to undertake the Tertianship. and Frank Roden. It was a surprise
Instead, he made his solemn profes- because each of us had kept the de-
40
