Death of Fr Jerome O'Hanlon MSC

We are most saddened to report the death in Cork of Fr Jerome O'Hanlon MSC on Monday 29th June.

Jerome was born in Castlemagner, Co Cork on 2nd June 1922, the eldest of five children born to Daniel and Eileen O'Hanlon. He entered the MSC Novitiate in 1940 and was ordained a priest in 1947.

After a couple of administrative appointments, as comunity bursar in the formation community of Moyne Park, Co Galway, and then as manager of the Annals Office in Cork, Jerome moved to what would become his firsl love: parish ministry.

He began his parish ministry as assistant priest, first in Saddleworth (Yorkshire) and then in St Alban's (Hertfordshire), both in England. In 1965 he returned to Saddleworth (our present parish of Uppermill) as Parish Priest, and later, in 1973, became Parish Priest of St Albert's, Stockbridge Village, Liverpool.

He continued to minister in England until 1980 when he was appointed Superior and Parish Priest in Western Road, Cork. After his six year term in Cork came to an end he became hospital chaplain to St Finbarr's South infirmary for ten years until his retirement in 1997. Even in retirement, however, Jerome continued to be active in ministry, especially in his close association with the Neo-Catechumenate movement within the Church.

Jerome has suffered from deteriorating health for a number of months and was recently being cared for in Mount Desert Nursing Home in Cork.

His funeral took place in Cork on Wednesday 1st July 2009. May he rest in peace.

You can read the text of the homily given at his Funeral Mass by Fr Pat Courtney, Provincial, here.