Local Notes: Kiltimagh's Fr John celebrates golden jubilee
Fr John Cunningham
Congratulations to Rev (Dr) John Cunningham, Pullronaghan, Kiltimagh who celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Phoenix, USA on Saturday evening, June 1 last.
A special Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Holy Family on that date, followed by dinner and dancing at the Park Hotel. Among the 200 plus in attendance were 70 Yanks who came from America, as well as others from England and Canada.
Fr John had his first dance of the night with his beloved aunt, Nora Rooney, his mother's youngest sister, who lives across the River Glore from him. At 95, she can still dance and tell a good story. She is the last of that generation in their family and is a cherished treasure to them all.
Fr John tells how it all began for him way back when he was a young boy:
“It started out in a tent of canvas tarps, which regularly collapsed in a storm. Then in 1959, when I was 10 - after urgent pleas - my dad built me a proper church, sturdy and made of plywood. I was over the moon with my backyard chapel, playing Mass, and dreaming of becoming a real priest one day.
"I hung a large crucifix over the altar and plaques of DeGrazia’s Stations of the Cross on the side walls. St Patrick’s statue was enshrined, along with framed pictures of the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Mother. My sister made vestments and mom supplied the port wine. Using an empty aspirin bottle, I pressed circular shapes out of slices of white bread for hosts. With Bible and missal, candles and incense, holy water, and songbooks at hand I was all set.
"Sometimes, kids on the block would assist. But I had to organise them, drilling them on their Latin responses and when to ring the bell. "When a family friend or neighbour wouldn’t make it to Mass of a Sunday morning, the word went out that they could catch my Mass in the afternoon. And so, I often had a tiny congregation, on lawn chairs, joining in.
"Looking back, it was creative and fun, but also meaningful. For my childhood enactments in that little church were a sign of where my life would lead. In 1981, the little church was moved to 'Carraigcoise', my cabin near Flagstaff, Arizona - a few yards from my parents’ grave.
"My mom used to say, 'Signs is on him', meaning I was marked for the priesthood from the start. My folks hailed from Mayo: Delia McNicholas (Kiltimagh) and Jim Cunningham (Foxford). I was their sixth child, the baby. Anyway, it has been a wonderful journey. Now I’ve come full circle and returned to Mayo.
"At 16, I was electrified by the thought of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and almost became a Jesuit. Then in my mid-life, I was influenced by C.G. Jung. These were my two paramount mentors, who have fundamentally shaped my thinking. I founded two parishes in my time, and I continue to teach religious studies online for Arizona State University.
"We are on the cusp of a new paradigm, one based on contemporary cosmology. Scientific discoveries have brought us breathtaking new insights into evolution and the universe. I hope to write a book helping Catholics to make sense of it all and how our ancient faith must adapt to reality as understood in the 21st century."
