Death of Fr Michael Maher MSC

Fr. Michael Maher, msc

On November 1st the MSC Irish Province was shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Fr. Michael Maher, msc.

Michael had been a member of the Woodview community in Dublin for many years and had devoted his life to lecturing and research in biblical studies, judaism and celtic spirituality.

About his work on Judaism, the Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Dr. Yaakov Pearlman, wrote that Michael “presented the knowledge of Judaism to the Irish people with academic integrity, and for this, the Irish Jewish Community will be forever grateful”.

As an MSC community we too are grateful for the gift of Michael's life and all that he contributed to both the Irish Province and the whole MSC Congregation. We shall miss him dearly.

Homily Preached by Fr. Dave Smith, msc at Michael's funeral Mass

For all of us the sudden death of Michael has come as a great shock. Michael as you all know was a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and a priest. His religious life and his priestly ministries were core to his personality and meaning in life. Many of us knew Michael as a gifted lecturer and academic. But as we all know this was only part of the man we knew. An important part, but only one aspect of this multi faceted man.

When reflecting upon his life a number of key characteristics spring to mind. These include integrity, compassion, altruism, continuous improvement, excellence and working in partnership.

Integrity was a key characteristic of Michael’s life. He demonstrated this in his honest approach to all aspects of his life particularly to his scholarship. In the academic world it is always temping to commence with a premise and ensure that the evidence we accumulate supports this. Michael was not like this. He was willing to address the difficult and sometimes unpalatable questions. We can say that his life was truly morally upright.

A very distinctive feature of Michael’s life was his compassion for people. He joined a congregation whose spiritual foundation is the Sacred Heart. This spirituality emphasises the humanity of Christ and particularly His compassion to all who suffer. This spirituality ensures that the person of Jesus is not an abstract vision but is rooted in the everyday experience of life. For Michael this was not an abstract belief. He was compassionate to the people he encountered who suffered in their lives.

His commitment to elderly people was particularly striking. Many people have spoken to me over the last few days about how Michael was able to listen to their pain in a compassionate way, advise them and most importantly give them hope in their lives.

Viktor Frankle, the Jewish writer and psychologist writes that people are only truly happy when they are altruistic. This unselfish concern for others can be expressed in many ways. For Michael this giving of self was seen in his love for his family, his interest in what they were doing and how they were getting on in life. Michael’s altruism was also expressed in his community life and with his students. To be altruistic with students is always a challenge to anyone involved in third level education. It is far too easy to make oneself unavailable and not to engage with students on a real personal level. Michael was not like this. He spent hours correcting examinations, essays, and dissertations. He always appeared available to listen to, encourage and engage with his students. For some of us who are not as conscientious with students he is a role model. I recall him coming to me looking for references for some student. The time he took and the trouble he went to was an expression of his personality.

Another important part to Michael’s life was continual improvement. He never stopped trying to ensure that the lives of the people closest to him enjoyed the same benefits he did. His academic life is one of continual improvement. Ensuring that he had the most up-to-date data to impart to his students. We all know that he had a deep interest in the Jewish People and their right heritage. He firmly believed that with a better understanding of this heritage we could improve our own understanding of our faith. As some of you will know he did the full rabbinic course in Cincinnati. He would often speak of his time in the college and how much he enjoyed it. But more importantly how it opened a new window in his life. Some of us used to joke with him that he should have been a rabbi. His last publications were on Judaism. Similarly he developed a deep interest in all things Celtic. But his desire to continually improve was part of his whole life. He ensured that he exercised regularly, ate and drank moderately and enjoyed his leisure time with his family, friends and community.

Yet if excellence is a make of a professional person then Michael demonstrated this in his own life. He always prepared for any undertaking. He always ensured that he was prepared for his daily mass and his introductions to the mass were linked to current events. He prepared his lectures and became an excellent teacher. I draw a distinction between a lecturer and teacher. A teacher not only imparts knowledge, but also inspires a love of the subject in his/her students. Michael had this ability. Speaking to students whom he taught they always speak about his humanity, his understanding of them and the pressures they have in combining a hectic social life with study. But what really comes through was his ability to generate in them a love or at least an interest in the subject.

Finally Michael was a collaborator. None of us live in isolation we all need to work with and engage with people. In community Michael was always available to assist with the necessary task of community living. He engaged actively in all its activities, even those he did not enjoy such as the washing-up. In his academic life he interacted with fellow scholars in the preparation of publications and conferences. One of his greatest collaborators was Statia Davey who collaborated with him in most of his academic work. Statia was able to offer constructive criticism, assistance, but most important of all support and understanding. I recall their collaboration on the Targums Project and more recently on an important Latin manuscript which will hopefully be published in Michael’s memory.

In a few short words I have tried, and most probably failed to show an appreciation of a man who engaged in life to the fullest extent. A man deeply committed to his belief in the salvific message of Jesus Christ. A man deeply committed to his family and friends and his religious family. All we can say is that Michael lived what he believed to the fullest degree and his life and its many and varied works with remain an inspiration to all those who met him.

Let is conclude as Michael would have wished with the affirmation that although we mourn his death we firmly believe that we will be united again in the Kingdom of God and at the resurrection on the last day.