College Record 1974

Editorial

This is an apologetic foreward to an issue of the College Record that is making a delayed appearance, and a rather under-nourished one at that. The delay was due in part to a change in editorship, following the retiral of Mr. Frank McEvoy, and the difficulty of finding a willing successor, ending in the present stop-gap operation., This is an appropriate place to pay tribute to Frank McEvoy’s work as Editor from 1962 to 1972- diligent, meticulous, expert. Even from his ‘retirement’ (due to pressure of work in his own department) he has helped to see this edition through the final stages, as its present Editor gratefully acknowledges. The production of this Record owes much to the help of others, especially our hard­working secretaries who did so much of the typing – Miss Margaret Meany (since, happily become Mrs. Thomas Joyce) and her successor, Miss Mary Meany. It would obviously be a bigger and better issue if it had more contributions. Ideally, we should be getting articles or reports from all the continents where our priests are working: from America, North and South, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa, Great Britain. A college with such a world-wide spread should not want for material of this kind, Nor should some of its many lay past pupils be lacking in ideas or in the urge to write. An open invitation is hereby issued to all these for our next number in 1976: all contributions will be gratefully received.

Meanwhile, thanks to those who have contributed to this one. If the present issue seems to be almost a special Scottish one, this is due to the zeal and the industry of Father Bernard Canning, of the diocese of Paisley, whose work as a recorder may serve as a model and a stimulus to others. In the division of such material as came to hand, the larger portion shows a strong clerical bias – out of proportion to numbers, it is true, but in keeping with the ecclesial significance and world-wide character of our seminary department. On a more personal note, and looking back over the period since the last issue (to be dealt with more extensively in the first article), I might mention that 1973 saw the departure of Canon Holohan to a parish, while 1974 saw the retirement of Mr. Patrick McSweeney and the untimely death of Mr. Eamonn Costello – three links with a past which stretches back to the early 1930s when these three entered the College, two as students and one as teacher.

The year 1974 was remarkable also for the ordination to the priesthood of a septuagenarian, who is now serving in the diocese of Ossory – Rev. Edward Burke, who came to the priesthood after his retirement from a long and successful business career to make history as the oldest man to be ordained in this country. These are some of the personalities and the events which will be featured in this Record; its Editor hopes that you will overlook its defects and enjoy its contents.