Fr. Paul Mary Madden C.P.

Sixty Years a Priest 1945-2005

On Sunday the 29th May 2005, Fr. Paul Mary Madden C.P. celebrated with the community in Mount Argus his Sixty Years of Priesthood.

Born Thomas Madden on 8th October 1920 in Kiltimagh Co. Mayo, he joined the Passionists as a postulant in Wheatfield in 1935. In Septembet 1938 he entered the Noviate in The Graan, Enniskillen and was professed as Paul Mary on 18th September 1939.

After his ordination on 26th May 1945 Fr. Paul Mary began a passionist ministry that was to have a world wide dimension. It began with a year in Wheatfield in charge of postulants. This was followed by seven years teaching the young Passionist students for the priesthood in Mount Argus and Dankieth. During this time he also was Director of the Boys Confraternity in Mount Argus - 1949 to 1953. In this job he made a name for himself throughout the city for his extensive work among youth.

In the second half of the fifties his work brought him outside Ireland when he was Procurator for new Foreign Mission of the Passionists in Botswana and South Africa. In 1959 he became Rector of Holy Cross Retreat, Ardoyne Belfast and in 1962 Provincial Consultor for St. Patrick's Province of the Passionists. Within two years he became General Consultor of the Passionists in Rome with responsibility for the passionists in English speaking world - Ireland, Scotland, England, America, Australia, New Zealand and the foreign missions associated with these provinces.

When his term of office as General Consultor finished he remained on in Rome as Rector of Sts. John and Paul's 1976-79 and also Director of Student Priests in Rome. From Rome Fr. Paul Mary moved to Argentina and for a while was Master of Novices there. Returning to Ireland in 1982 for a year Fr. Paul Mary was on the road again and this time to Africa.

First stop was Kenya for a year and then south to Botswana to take the job as Master of Novices in 1984. By 1988 he had moved to South Africa and become Reginal Vicar. Fr. Paul Mary remained in South Africa until the end of the ninties engaged in preaching assignments and working in parishes. By 1998 Fr. Paul Mary had returned to Ireland for a well-earned rest. He was now 78 years of age and lived first in Passionist Monastery at Tobar Mhuire, Crossgar and in 2004 move to St. Paul's Retreat, Mount Argus, Dublin.