Rev Patrick Doran CSSp... "Father Pat" |
The Early Years
|
Father Pat was born in 1931 in Rathnew, County Wicklow, Ireland, the fifth son of seven boys born to Lill and John Doran. He entered the Holy Ghost Missionary College, Kimmage, Dublin in 1949 and during this training was sent to Trinidad where he taught at St Mary’s High School, Port of Spain for three years before his ordination.
On a bright sunny morning on the 12th of July 1959 Fr. Pat was ordained a Missionary Spiritan Priest. When he came out of the seminary church he was greeted by his father, his mother and his six brothers. The first words his father said were “NOW, I believe it”! His brother Tom was the first person to rush up to call him “Fr Pat”. |
"Now I believe it" John Doran,
Fr Pat's Dad |
Newly Ordained
In 1960 Father Pat, with about 12 other newly ordained priests, was appointed to Nigeria. Nigeria had many tribes, each with their own language and culture. They were sent to the IBO tribe of which there were 12 million people who loved their priests and did their best to make them welcome and keep them fed!!.
The parish where Fr. Pat worked with three other priests was called OKIGWI. It was a huge parish with 80 “out -stations” which were scattered over a large area with gravel and sand roads, and very difficult to move about especially in the rainy season. Each week, all the priests were given a certain number of villages to visit for Mass and the Sacraments. They began on Tuesday morning and slept out in the bush churches or schools, often with mud walls and floor and no doors or windows. They lived a very “transparent life”. Each village fed the priests the local food. They usually got back to the Parish house on Sunday mid-day. Today this is area is known as the OKIGWI DIOCESE!
In 1966/67 a civil war broke out and the Ibo people seceded from the Federation, because they were not getting their fair share of the wealth from the vast oil wells under their land. Almost two million died of famine, mostly women and children. The missionaries tried every means to find food and were accused of being mercenaries feeding “the enemy’. Fr. Pat was arrested at gun-point, imprisoned for 10 days and threatened with a firing squad each morning. He was then deported with the warning “you’ll be shot on sight if you come back”.
The parish where Fr. Pat worked with three other priests was called OKIGWI. It was a huge parish with 80 “out -stations” which were scattered over a large area with gravel and sand roads, and very difficult to move about especially in the rainy season. Each week, all the priests were given a certain number of villages to visit for Mass and the Sacraments. They began on Tuesday morning and slept out in the bush churches or schools, often with mud walls and floor and no doors or windows. They lived a very “transparent life”. Each village fed the priests the local food. They usually got back to the Parish house on Sunday mid-day. Today this is area is known as the OKIGWI DIOCESE!
In 1966/67 a civil war broke out and the Ibo people seceded from the Federation, because they were not getting their fair share of the wealth from the vast oil wells under their land. Almost two million died of famine, mostly women and children. The missionaries tried every means to find food and were accused of being mercenaries feeding “the enemy’. Fr. Pat was arrested at gun-point, imprisoned for 10 days and threatened with a firing squad each morning. He was then deported with the warning “you’ll be shot on sight if you come back”.
Nigeria was just the beginning
Four months later he was sent to the island of San Paulo, 300 miles off the Nigerian coast, where all the food and medical supplies for Nigeria were stockpiled. He was a member of a team of four Holy Ghost priests who coordinated famine relief flights into Biafra. The team conducted up to 24 flights nightly. One part of Fr. Pat’s job was to check on the distribution of all medical and food supplies to the clinics in Biafra (a three-day task every three weeks). Father Pat left just before the collapse of Biafra on 9th January 1970.
Following this time he taught in Ireland for four years. Then he was sent to Canada for youth and vocations work and then he joined a team of diocesan and Spiritan priests sponsored by the Calgary Diocese to work in Malawi in East Central Africa for 4 years.
In 1985 he was posted to Papua New Guinea where he worked for fifteen years, eight years at Aitape and seven years at Wewak.
The Spiritans had arrived in the Aitape Diocese early in the 1980’s. Father Pat spent 8 years until 1992 ministering to the people of Aitape. The people of Aitape were his “ family”.
In early 1990 the Spiritans extended their ministry to Wewak which was about 120 km along the coast.
Wewak, where Father Pat ministered for 7 years had its own Cathedral and its own Bishop and had a population of about 4000 people. Catholicism was the principal faith in the area. It was situated on the coast with beautiful beaches and was supported by fishing and local farming. The area was essentially a family area. Father Pat’s parish was a simple faith community with a deep love for the mass and a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the month of May the statue of Our Lady was put on a stand, decorated with flowers and taken through the town to a home of one of the local leaders. The statue would stay on an altar in the front garden of one of the parish leader’s homes for about a week where this local group would meet each night and say the rosary, sing hymns and read scripture. This would be repeated at the homes of other group leaders during the month of May.
Following this time he taught in Ireland for four years. Then he was sent to Canada for youth and vocations work and then he joined a team of diocesan and Spiritan priests sponsored by the Calgary Diocese to work in Malawi in East Central Africa for 4 years.
In 1985 he was posted to Papua New Guinea where he worked for fifteen years, eight years at Aitape and seven years at Wewak.
The Spiritans had arrived in the Aitape Diocese early in the 1980’s. Father Pat spent 8 years until 1992 ministering to the people of Aitape. The people of Aitape were his “ family”.
In early 1990 the Spiritans extended their ministry to Wewak which was about 120 km along the coast.
Wewak, where Father Pat ministered for 7 years had its own Cathedral and its own Bishop and had a population of about 4000 people. Catholicism was the principal faith in the area. It was situated on the coast with beautiful beaches and was supported by fishing and local farming. The area was essentially a family area. Father Pat’s parish was a simple faith community with a deep love for the mass and a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the month of May the statue of Our Lady was put on a stand, decorated with flowers and taken through the town to a home of one of the local leaders. The statue would stay on an altar in the front garden of one of the parish leader’s homes for about a week where this local group would meet each night and say the rosary, sing hymns and read scripture. This would be repeated at the homes of other group leaders during the month of May.
The Tsunami
The Tsunami occurred in Aitape July 1998. Father Pat visited the area 2 days after the tidal wave occurred. To reach the people he traveled by boat across a lagoon approximately 8km inland. Conditions were terrible. The stench from decaying bodies unimaginable. He marveled at the quiet courage and great dignity of his people as he listened to stories, consoled and gave the sacraments.
Father Pat returned a week later and, due to the unhygienic conditions, the people had moved further inland. He slept under the trees with some 1600 people who also slept on the ground under light plastic roofing tents. More than 600 people per day required medical help for their incredible injuries. No one complained. On this second trip Father Pat assisted with various relief efforts. Arranging for relief teams in the area, provision of tarps, clothes, pumps and short wave radios to provide contact with the outside areas. Soccer balls for the children and numerous other relief efforts. The Australian family, the Parer’s who were merchants at Atiape town. Rob Parer the owner of the Store emptied his warehouses of all available food into trucks and sent them into the devastated areas without charge.
Father Pat returned a week later and, due to the unhygienic conditions, the people had moved further inland. He slept under the trees with some 1600 people who also slept on the ground under light plastic roofing tents. More than 600 people per day required medical help for their incredible injuries. No one complained. On this second trip Father Pat assisted with various relief efforts. Arranging for relief teams in the area, provision of tarps, clothes, pumps and short wave radios to provide contact with the outside areas. Soccer balls for the children and numerous other relief efforts. The Australian family, the Parer’s who were merchants at Atiape town. Rob Parer the owner of the Store emptied his warehouses of all available food into trucks and sent them into the devastated areas without charge.
The Move to Australia
In 2000 Father Pat was appointed to St. Michael’s Parish at Dorrington, Brisbane where this charismatic priest with his friendly way was soon forging ahead with youth work and generally nourishing the parish of Dorrington.
More than a decade later, Fr. Pat is now the much loved Parish Priest at Dorrington and has drawn the community together, working on numerous projects in the Archdiocese including World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.
More than a decade later, Fr. Pat is now the much loved Parish Priest at Dorrington and has drawn the community together, working on numerous projects in the Archdiocese including World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.
