OBITUARY

New Zealand Tablet, 13 May 1915, Page 36

OBITUARY

REV. FATHER MICHAEL KEENAN, DUNEDIN. The many friends of. Rev. Father M. Keenan throughout the diocese of Dunedin, heard with sincere regret of his death, which occurred in Dunedin on Friday, May 7, in his 69th year. The late Father Keenan was born near Castledawson, County Derry, in 1846, being a member of a well-known family in that district. He received his primary education at the local .National school, and from there proceeded to the Tergarval Classical School. . Later on he entered St. Macartan's Seminary at Monaghan. For his theological course he went to All Hallows' College, Dublin, and was ordained priest on June 24, 1875. In the following year he"* came out to Australia, and spent two years in Brisbane. From there he went to the Armidale diocese, and labored for ten years in the parish of Tenterfield. At the end of that period, owing to his health breaking down, he came to New Zealand, and took up duties in the diocese of Dunedin, having since then been stationed in Invercargill, Winton, Arrowtown, and Riversdalc. 'During the. absence of the Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary in Europe some years ago, the deceased had charge of the Lawrence parish. Owing to ill-health, and acting on medical advice, he relinquished charge of the Riversdalc parish some two or three years ago, and since then had resided in South Dunedin. In all, the late Father Keenan had spent about forty years on the mission. The deceased was a brother of the late Father John Keenan, of Omagh, County Tyrone, and uncle of the Rev. Michael Keenan, of Newcastle, New South Wales. The remains were taken to St.. Joseph's Cathedral, where on Tuesday morning a. Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of the deceased was celebrated by his Lordship Bishop Verdon, Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary (Lawrence) being assistant priest, Rev. Father Murphy (Riverton) deacon, Very Rev. Father O'Donnell (Gore) subdeacon, and Very Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., master of ceremonies. The solemn music was rendered by a choir of the clergy. In addition to the clergy just mentioned the following were present in the sanctuary — Rev. Father O'Donnell (Ashburton), Very Rev. Dean Burke (Invercargill), Very Rev. Father Hunt (Cromwell), Rev. Father O'Donnell (Queens--town), Rev. Father O'Neill (Winton), Rev. Father McMullau (Ranfurly), Very Rev. Father Lynch (Wrey's Bush), Rev. Father O'Dea (Ophir), "Rev. Father Howard (Milton), Rev. Father Delany (South Dunedin), Rev. Father O'Reilly "(Port Chalmers), Rev. Father J. Lynch (Palinerston South), Rev. Father P. J. O'Neill (Rivcrsdale). Rev. Fathers Buckley, Corcoran, and Kavanagh (Dunedin), Rev. Father D. O'Neill (Invercargill), Rev. Fathers Liston, Morkane, Collins, Scan lan, and E. Lynch (Holy Cross College), Rev. Father Tobin (South Dunedin), Rev. Father O'Connell (Oamaru), and Rev. Father Kavcn'ey (Lawrence). His Lordship the Bishop gave the Absolution at the catafalque. Later on the funeral left for the Southern Cemetery, where Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary, assisted by the clergy who were present at the Cathedral, officiated. —R.I.P. '