Fr Jim McGlynn
On January 12 we remembered at mass the anniversary of Fr. Jim McGlynn who died in 1988. He was the man who established a Columban presence in Lower Hutt in 1943 and had a great influence here and in Australia.
Fr. Jim was born in Donegal in 1899. He was ordained in 1923 and after 2 years as Dean in our seminary in Ireland he was appointed to Australia. He initially worked on the seminary staff there including periods as rector and vice rector. During that time, he also served the local parish. Fr. Gerard Dowling remembered the influence that Fr. McGlynn had on his life and said in 2018 “had Fr McGlynn not exercised the pastoral role in my formative years that he did, I might never be looking back so happily today on my 60 years as a priest”.
Old newspaper article from 1943 on the former Columban House, Lower Hutt
In 1943 Fr. Jim came to New Zealand and purchased a house and property in Lower Hutt. Our Mission office and residences are still on the site that he bought. He was recalled to Australia in 1944 and served 2 terms as Regional Director. He was the local superior in New Zealand from 1955-61 and again from 1964-71. In between times he had charge of a new Columban house in Perth WA.
Here in the Mission Office in Lower Hutt we are still seeing the benefits of the great work done by Fr Jim and his companions in putting mission on the map. That people have continued to support us for 50, 60 and in some cases 70 years is a testament to the work they did in promoting mission here. It also speaks to the great generosity of people who responded so loyally and generously to the missionary cause. As the saying goes “we stand on the shoulders of giants”.
There are many stories about Fr. Jim. Columbans tell of times that Jim would take them aside by the elbow and tell them of a new appointment or task that they would take up “tomorrow”. He also had a knack for engaging Irish people, especially those from his native Donegal, to support his projects or join him for games of tennis. Jim was on the Wahine when it sank in Wellington harbour in 1968. He somehow made his way back to the Columban house and went to bed without letting his companions know he was alive. It added to his image as tough and uncompromising individual.
The Wahine which sank in Wellington harbour on which Fr McGlynn was a passenger
My contact with him was after he retired to Ireland in 1978. In his 80’s and frail it was hard to reconcile this man with the one I was to hear many stories about when I was appointed to Australia in 1991 and then to New Zealand in 2006. But his memory is alive still here as are the fruits of the pioneering work done by Columbans in New Zealand before and after we established a presence here. A few New Zealanders became Columbans even before we set up house here, the first Arthur Price in 1935. In all 51 Columban Missionary priests came from Aotearoa. As early as March 1922 there is evidence of Columban benefactors in Wellington and Auckland.
We are grateful for the support we continue to receive from people in various parts of New Zealand.
By Fr Pat O'Shea, Lower Hutt, Aotearoa/New Zealand
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