William Leahy

William Leahy is the son of Patrick J Leahy and Margaret Halpin, Hospital, Co Limerick was born in Baggotstown on June 25th 1916. On William's birth certificate Patrick's profession is given as "Teacher and Soldier". The birth was registered in the District of bruff in the Union of Kilmallock in Co Limerick.

William was baptised on June 28th 1916 and confirmed on May 1st 1928.

William studied at Rockwell College to become a Spiritan Priest. The archivist of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritan Order) confirmed that William is recorded as having made his first profession of vows (i.e., officially becoming a member of the Holy Ghost (Spiritan) Congregation) in 1936.


William was studying in France (or Belgium) during WW2 and suffered shell shock. He returned to Ireland but could not continue his ministry. The Holy Ghost archives record that sadly William sought and obtained a Dispensation from his vows on May 1942 when a member of the Rockwell College Community.

William spent the remainder of his days with his sister and brothers in Hospital, Co Limerick until his death.

He died in ....

Mary Halpin

Mary Halpin was born  12/7/1873 and was the daughter of William Halpin and Alicia Quish. She was the elder sister of Margaret Halpin, Pat's granny, and sister to Msgr John Halpin.

In the 1901 census she is aged 26 and living in the Warrenmount Presentation Convent, Dublin. there were 12 sisters and 2 servants in the convent. Margaret Fottrell was the Head of Household, the Mother Superior.

In the 1911census Mary is registered as Sr Mary Aloysius Halpin. There were 15 sisters and 2 servants registered. Sr Mary Joseph Fottrell was the Head of Household, the Mother Superior.

Sr Mary Aloysius was Reverend Mother when her niece Josephine entered Warrenmount as a novice. The story goes that on a visit back to Ireland Rev John Halpin offered to take Josephine for a drive in the car and proceeded to drive her to Warrenmount to enter the convent! It is known that Fr Halpin made a visit back to Ireland in 1920 and if this account is correct then this would be the time that Josephine began her noviciate and the time that Sr Mary Aloysius was Reverend Mother.

Coincidentally, Pat's father Pa was only born in 1920.

I believe this photo below shows Sr Aloysius centre, with her niece Josephine (Sr Cecilia) to her left and her sister Margaret Leahy (nee Halpin), back row left.

(c) P Leahy

Msgr John Halpin 1870 - 1943

John Halpin was the son of William Halpin and Alicia Quish. Born approx 4th July in either 1869, as given in the Knockainey Church register, or 1872 as recorded by St Patrick's College, Thurles, or 1870 as recorded by Dubuque Archdiocese. It is not unusual for dates to differ. 

(c) P Leahy

College records show he was 15 when he entered St Patrick's College in January 1887. He came from Bruff, Baggotstown in the parish of Knockany in the Diocese of Cashel. He left the College in 1895 and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. 

John Halpin was ordained by Archbishop Reardon of San Francisco, CA, on June 13 1895 in St Patrick’s College and Fr Halpin then travelled to Dubuque to begin his ministry.

The passenger records for the ship Servia show passenger no 0724, Fr John Halpin arrived in America 19^th September 1895. The ship departed from Liverpool but John embarked at Queenstown, now Cobh, Co Cork. He had two pieces of baggage. He was 24 years old. He was registered as a US citizen and was intending a ‘protracted sojourn’.

In 1920 Fr Halpin made a visit to Ireland returning to America on the ship S.S. Olympic. The journey took 7 days arriving in New York 28^th July 1920. Records show he was naturalised in Maguskita, Iowa and his address is given as Fairbank, Iowa.

I believe Fr Halpin ministered in the Archdiocese of Dubuque from 1895 until 1931 when he was installed as Pastor to St Columbkille on the evening of Thursday October 8th 1931 by Msgr Barry. Msgr Halpin remained Pastor of St Columbkille's until his death in 1943. 

In the 1940 US Census Msgr John Halpin lived at 1240 Rush Street, Dubuque, along with another Iowa priest, Lawrence Craney and 3 housekeepers.

On the same street was the Presentation Convent. This close association with the Presentation Sisters is probably the reason why three of Msgr Halpin’s nieces became Presentation Sisters in Dublin.

Msgr Halpin’s death was reported in the local press and thousands queued to see his body. He was buried on 18^th June 1943

Read more about Msgr Halpin in Dubuque here

Read more about St Patricks College here

Msgr Halpin in Dubuque

Dubuque 

In the book "History of St. Columbkille's Parish 1887-1962" written by one of St Colunbkille's associate priests - Rev. Cletus J. Hawes in 1962 , Chapter Six gives the following mention of Msgr Halpin:

"News of the appointment of Fr. Halpin as pastor to fill the vacancy created by the death of Fr. O'Brien was a source of new joy to the people of St. Columbkille's.  Fr. John Q. Halpin was born July 4, 1870 in County Limerick, Ireland, and was ordained by Archbishop Reardon of San Francisco, CA on June 13, 1895 at St. Patrick's in County Tipperary, Ireland.  After his ordination he came to Dubuque.  Msgr. Barry installed Fr. Halpin as the new pastor on Thursday evening, October 8, 1931.

 

Facing the new pastor was the difficulty of meeting payments on the $55,000 debt left from the purchase and renovation of the school in those prolonged days of the depression of the '30's.  Sister Gertrude writes, "Father Halpin's glory lies in the fact that he kept the parish together during the difficult years of the recession and the period immediately following it.  Through his leadership, in spite of the depression, the parish was able to continue the operation of its grade and high school and to make improvements where needed."  The Witness of December 12, 1931 reports, "A number of improvements were made on the rectory, the school, and the church of St. Columbkille's Parish.  In issuing directions that this work be done, Fr. Halpin provided employment to a number of workers in various trades and at the same time greatly improved the church property."

St. Columbkille's Parish shouldered the burden of operations despite the depression.  For years, the parish had not operated a school as other parishes, but once school operation was undertaken by the parish they exceeded the effort of other parishes with both a grade and high school.  Fr. Halpin continued the expansion of the high school for the boys with the result, as mentioned previously, that the first boys graduated from the high school in 1935.

Death came to Msgr. Halpin on June 15th, 1943 at the age of 72.  The Witness of June 17, 1943 wrote in great praise of the work of Msgr. Halpin and expressed the loss his death left to the Archdiocese quoted in part as follows, 'In the passing of Msgr. John Q. Halpin, the Archdiocese of Dubuque has lost one of the best and most distinguished of its splendid priesthood.  He was an apostolic orator of an eloquence that shone and flowed with the flame and inspiration of the Spirit of Love and Holiness and Truth...He was in the best tradition of the great tradition of those Irish priests who have wrought heroically for Christ in America.”

Fr Halpin trained in St Patrick's College, Thurles

St Patrick's College, Thurles

St. Patrick's College, Thurles, Co Tipperary, is a charitable institution operating under the patronage of the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly. The College opened as an educational institution in September 1837, offering second level education in the humanities, with a limited contribution from the sciences, to students wishing to prepare for priesthood as well as careers in business and other professions. 

By the middle of the 1860s, the College had developed into a major seminary with the addition of a full Theological Faculty. During its long history of service to education, St. Patrick’s College has contributed significantly to society and Church in Ireland, throughout the rest of the English-speaking world and further afield. Fifteen hundred graduates of St. Patrick’s College have served as priests in dioceses in Ireland and throughout the English-speaking world.