Funeral Arrangements for Brother Hyacinth Kennedy RIP
Brother Hyacinth’s remains will be reposing at the Franciscan Brothers Residence, Newtown, Mountbellew, on Wednesday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Removal will be on Thursday morning to St. Mary’s Parish Church, Mountbellew for Funeral Mass at 11 a.m.
Following Mass, Brother Hyacinth will be laid to rest in the Franciscan Brothers Cemetery, Mountbellew.
In his 90th year, having lived life to the full, Brother Hyacinth embraced Sister Death on Monday, March 6th at Flannery’s Nursing Home, Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway. In the upcoming days, stories about the “Chief” will be shared by those of us who truly knew him as one of the giants of our Franciscan fraternity. A natural leader, Hyacinth stood out in every arena and his natural extroversion enabled him to transform casual acquaintances into lasting friendships. Whether it was his first teaching assignment in Ballyglunin National School, running St. Anthony’s in Clara, or serving as principal of Bishop Diego Garcia in his beloved Santa Barbara, Hyacinth was at the heart of the religious, social, educational, and golfing communities.
The Brothers recognized Hyacinth’s leadership, electing him Minister General in 1973, a role he took on with gusto. He loved traveling and frequently made his way to see the Brothers in New York, California and Kenya.
An avid and skilled golfer, Hyacinth loved the banter of his golfing buddies, especially enjoying the followship of the 19th hole. Such was his golf acumen that he was the coach of the championship Bishop Garcia Diego HS golf team. It didn’t hurt that he had the Geigberger boys on his team.
After spending some time in retirement in Oxnard, California, Hyacinth made the decision to spend the remainder of his years in close proximity to his family. Before illness overtook him, he loved visiting his family in Dunmore, having dinner with them on Sundays and relishing their company. He had wished for more years of such joy, but the ravages of Alzheimer’s Disease took its unrelenting toll, gradually returning him to places he had enjoyed in his younger days. It was a long farewell.
Hyacinth will be greatly missed and will not be forgotten. Please remember him in your prayers.
Happy Christmas 2022. We wish each one of you a blessed, love, peace and joy filled Christmas and every good in 2023. It is my privilege to welcome you to the website of the Franciscan Brothers of the Third Order Regular.
We are still in the celebration period of our bicentennial of serving God’s people, while at the same time, we stand on the threshold of our General Chapter in June 2023. In pursuing our mission and setting forth on another 200-year journey, the theme of our Chapter seems particularly apt: “For new wine, new wineskins.”
We must not be afraid of changing things according to the law of the Gospel. The Church is telling us to leave aside structures bound to collapse. They are useless! And get new wineskins, those of the Gospel. The Gospel is newness! The Gospel is a feast! The fullness of the Gospel can only be lived in a joyful heart, in a renewed heart. Make space for the law of the Beatitudes, for the joy and freedom that the newness of the Gospel brings us. The Lord gives us the grace of remaining prisoners no longer. Rather, he gives us the grace of the joy and of the freedom which the newness of the Gospel brings us.”
I pray that we will have the confidence and conviction to respond to the freedoms and opportunities afforded. Our charism ‘is to live the Gospel way of life’. The Gospel brings us joy and newness and we are bubbling with enthusiasm and conviction in spreading the good news among the people and creation where we live and work. Please pray for us and support our brothers and their ministries. Brother Tony Dolan (Minister General)
Brother Paulinus Horkan RIP
The death of our beloved Br. Paulinus Horkan, on the feast day of St. Francis in Galway University Hospital, leaves us with heavy hearts. While he suffered from ill health for some time and we knew that he was prepared for Sister Death, still his departure to his and our eternal home leaves a major lacuna in all our lives, but especially for our Brothers, his family, and his legion of friends in Ireland and California. 
Paulinus was such a jovial, warm, integrated man, making it a great pleasure to visit him in Corrandulla Community where one was assured of a warm welcome and an enriching conversation. He was interested in everybody and in everything. Having visited Kenya a number of years ago, he was keen for updates on brothers, volunteers and ministries. However, it was his beloved St. Bonaventure’s High School, Ventura, California that dominated most conversations. He spent the better part of his working life in California and loved the work and the people there with whom he shared his life. During a visit to Corrandulla in 2020 his parting gift was one of his beautiful St. Bonaventure Football rings; he was as proud of the Seraph’s football achievements as their academic excellence.
We are grateful to our loving God for Paulinus and for his long productive, prayerful, community orientated life and for his wonderful example of how religious life should be lived. We are also grateful to Corrandulla Community for ensuring that he was well cared for in the community up to the end of his life.
On behalf of all our Brothers I convey sympathy to his family, whom he dearly loved, Corrandulla Community, Our Brothers in Ireland and California and to his wide circle of friends.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam usual, dilis.
May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace. Br. Tony Dolan
The historical journey of our brothers through time is marvelously brought to life is this excellent video, aptly titled “The Monks of the West.” Please enjoy. READ MORE…
June 4, 2022 — To view a livestream of our Brothers’ professions in Kenya: Click Here
We are overjoyed that Brother Pius Muasa, has completed his studies, including his dissertation, and is about to graduate with a PhD in Counselling Psychology from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Although his dissertation is already published, Pius will have to wait until later this month for CUEA’s actual graduation ceremony when he will actually walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Not only that, Brother Pius qualified with a Mean Grade of A for the program. This is a wonderful achievement by Pius and a cause of great joy for his Franciscan brothers, family and friends.
BBC Interview with Brother Peter Tabichi: In this video, Franciscan Brother and 2019 Global Ambassador for Education, Peter Tabichi, reflects on the challenges and opportunties for teachers and students in these trying times of the Covid virus when students are not able to attend school in person.
Honors
Obituaries
Reflections on Fr. Gerry Foley RIP
March 10, 2020 – Br. Laurence Grimes – Br. Edmund Farrell