Dennehy, Vincent, 1899-1982, Jesuit priest

Born: 27 August 1899, Victoria Cross, Cork City, County Cork
Entered: 31 August 1917, St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly
Ordained: 14 June 1932, Milltown Park, Sandford Road, Dublin
Final Vows: 02 February 1935, Mungret College SJ, Mungret, County Limerick
Died: 30 April 1982, St Joseph's Nursing Home, Kilcroney, County Wicklow

Part of the St Francis Xavier, Gardiner Street, Dublin community at the time of his death.

Father is a commercial traveller, and his parents now live at Mount Pleasant, College Road, Cork.

Older brother and three sisters.

Early education at PBC Cork until age 12. In 1911 he went to CBC Cork

1917-1919: St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly, Novitiate
1919-1923: St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly, Rhetoric
1923-1926: Ignatius-Colleg, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Limburg, Netherlands (GER I), Philosophy
1926-1929: Mungret College SJ, Mungret, County Limerick, Regency
1929-1933: Milltown Park, Sandford Road, Dublin, Theology
1933-1934: St Beuno’s, St Asaph, Wales (ANG), Tertianship
1934-1935: Mungret College SJ, Mungret, County Limerick, Teaching
1935-1939: Clongowes Wood, College SJ, Naas, County Kildare, Teaching
1939-1949: Sacred Heart College SJ, Crescent, Limerick, Teaching
1949-1953: Clongowes Wood, College SJ, Naas, County Kildare, Teaching
1953-1956: Coláiste Iognáid SJ, Sea Road, Galway, Teaching
1956-1960: Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin, Spiritual Exercises
1960-1982: St Francis Xavier, Gardiner Street, Dublin, Assistant Vice Postulator for John Sullivan SJ; Confessor
1981-1982: St Joseph’s, Kilcroney, County Wicklow, Caring for health

◆ Irish Province News 57th Year No 3 1982

Obituary

Fr Vincent Dennehy (1899-1917-1982)

My first glimpse of Vincent Dennehy was on 1st September 1919; he was a Junior preparing himself for the University; the place was Tullabeg. His singular carriage of his head and his red face singled him out from the others.

Ten years later in the theologate at Milltown Park we really got to know each other. He was a most helpful and thoughtful person. He was keen that all in the house should share in all that went on. When we revived the Gilbert and Sullivan operas at Christmas time he arranged to have a short play or sketch put before the G & S musical. This was done in order that those who were not singers might have a medium in which to entertain their fellow-students and guests.

He was ordained in Congress year, on 14th June 1932. The ordinations were early that year so that we might exercise the ministry to celebrate the bringing of the Gospel to Ireland by St Patrick.

Once the Congress got under way there followed a gruelling beginning to the priestly life in the Dublin churches; midnight often saw us returning from a day spent hearing confessions. It was an immediate and satisfying beginning to our priestly life.

A year later we were together in St Beuno's, North Wales, for our tertianship. This time of renewal was well spent in many acts of sharing and good-fellow- ship. Fr Vincent stood out in this respect and was always in good humour, so that despondent persons found in him a very rational and down-to-earth remedy for their worries.

He was always a man of principle and indeed his favourite argument in favour was always “the principle of the thing”.

A good human Jesuit of those days, untiring in doing good for others, and loyal to the Ignatian way.
At the Crescent, Limerick (1939-949), with Fr Bill Saul (d. 1976), he was involved in the revival of the Cecilian Musical Society in the 1940s. The daughter of the regiment was one of the shows staged by the CMS in those days.

From the time he was assigned to the duty of promoting the cause of Fr John Sullivan, Fr Vincent found a renewal of energy and a stimulating purpose. He really rejoiced in his close association with Fr John and during the many years of his apostolate of promotion he gained the co-operation and affection of a large number of persons. Vincent’s zeal for the work was infectious – so much so that he could and did enlist the help of a number of car owners; from them he formed a panel of drivers, each one pledged to call for him at 6.15 pm on the day of the week agreed upon. From that hour until 10 pm or later he was brought to hospitals and private houses to bless with Fr John's crucifix all who had been listed for that particular day. At a late snack between 10.30 and 11 one could be sure of meeting a very tired but happy Fr Vincent.

North of the Border there is widespread devotion to Fr John, and Vincent travelled there whenever he was wanted. He was in Belfast very shortly after the attempted murder of Bernadette McAliskey (née Devlin) and was delighted to have been called to bless the still unconscious young woman. That she recovered was, no doubt, due to Fr John's intercession, Vincent was so unsparing of himself and so utterly dedicated to his apostolate that he could be quite testy with anyone who seemed to impede or belittle the work. Nor would he allow Fr John to be second fiddle to anyone else however renowned for sanctity. If a patient had on display a picture of someone such as Padre Pio, Fr Vincent passed by! When Vincent's long suffering ended in death I am sure Fr John was at the gate to welcome his confrère and friend.

Ignatius-Colleg, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Limburg, Netherlands