Next year we celebrate the centenary of the tragic death of China’s First Columban Director (Aug 13, 2027). John O’Leary was born in Macroom, Co Cork on Oct 24, 1893. He was ordained a priest for the Cloyne Diocese in Cork in 1918 and sent for postgraduate studies in theology. In 1919 he joined the Columbans and spent the next five years teaching theology and canon law in Dalgan, the newly founded Columban seminary. One of his students at this time was English-born Thomas Devlin, who was first a Seminarian for the Armagh Archdiocese, joined the Columbans in Dalgan Park, was ordained in 1923 and went to Hanyang, later the Columban Diocese in China where Bishop Galvin our co-founder, was in charge. In 1924 Fr O’Leary was sent to China. He travelled to China on a Japanese boat with a Japanese crew, the Fushimi Mara. He and the now Fr Tom Devlin and three others traveled together. They were the only Catholics on board. Arriving in Shanghai, they transferred to a Yangtze River Steamer and journeyed the 700 miles upriver to Hanyang, situated on a confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Across the Han River from Hanyang is the now world-famous Wuhan whence the Covid virus originated. Columban Fr Dan Troy has lived in Wuhan through the entire crisis. Fr Galvin welcomed them in Hanyang. Fr O’Leary had already been appointed director for China so he stayed in Hanyang and assisted Fr Galvin to run the diocese. The others were sent to parishes here and there.
Fr Devlin was appointed to Sung Ho a further 200 miles inland. Their first task was to learn Chinese. This was a difficult time in China and in Hanyang as the Government and Communist armies were fighting, and missionaries had to protect their people and themselves as best they could.
In 1927 Fr O’Leary felt it was time for a holiday and traveled the 200 miles to Fr Devlin’s Parish, Song Ho, for a break. Fr Devlin had found a rat-infested shack in Song Ho when he first arrived and had learned Chinese there, battling the mosquitoes. Then he managed to build a better house and received Fr O’Leary there. There was also the problem of bandits in the Sun Ho area.
Fr Devlin suggested the two go to an inland mission Wu-Tai where he needed to minister to the people. It was a mountain area and cooler as the weather was extremely hot. Off they went and settled down in Wu-Tai. Fr Devlin ministered to his people, and Fr. O'Leary continued his study of Chinese and did some writing. In the afternoons they were able to have a swim in the very cold river. One very hot day they did a ten-mile hike to the source of the river and had a swim. The cold of the river and the heat got to Fr. Devlin, and it was with difficulty that Fr O’Leary got him back to Wu-Tai. The next day both of them were very ill. It seemed Fr. Devlin would die on the third day, and Fr O’Leary anointed him. They got the help of a Chinese doctor. Fr O’Leary sent Fr. Devlin back to Sung Ho on a chair carried by some locals. He followed the next day but almost did not make the journey.
When Fr O’Leary arrived very ill in Sung Ho, Fr. Devlin got out of bed and tried to help him, getting him washed and into bed. He returned to bed himself then, but shortly afterwards, the boy who was taking care of Fr O’Leary came back to him because Fr O’Leary was dying. Fr Devlin anointed him immediately. Here is Fr Devlin’s account of what happened: “While anointing him, I had to keep seated. I was too weak to stand. A few minutes later, he passed away in my arms. He just seemed to slip away, and to the last moment he was clear-minded and patient as could be. You can imagine how I felt at 12:10 a.m., just past midnight, this morning (Aug 13, 1917) to find the director—and my guest—dead in my arms, two days' journey (45 miles) away from any of my fellow priests; I was simply dazed. I have sent messengers to Han-Yang and to the nearest mission, but of course no one can reach me before the funeral is over.” They unhinged a door, put Fr. O'Leary's body on it, and buried him near the front door of the church. Fr Devlin returned to bed, lapsed into unconsciousness, but was still alive when Fr Leonard arrived a few days later. They took him to Han-Yang, where he recovered and continued to work in Sung Ho.
Columban Fr Donal McIlraith lives and works in Suva, Fiji.
Related links
- Read more from the current e-Kaulotu - June 2026
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