Subfonds 770 - Br Joseph Cleary SJ

Born: 21 January 1921, Ringsend, Dublin City
Entered: 25 May 1948, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Final Vows: 15 August 1958, Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin
Died: 09 October 2012, Cherryfield Lodge, Dublin

Part of the Milltown Park, Dublin community at the time of death.

◆ Jesuits in Ireland : https://www.jesuit.ie/news/brother-joe-cleary-rip/

Brother Joe Cleary RIP
Brother Joe Cleary SJ died in Cherryfield on 9 October, aged 91. A native of Ringsend, Dublin, he had a variety of jobs before entering the Jesuits at the age of 27: 3 years egg-
testing and store work, 8 years delivering groceries, four of them by horse and cart, and four driving a lorry.
He was a keen soccer-player, a member of St John’s Ambulance, and, during the Emergency, of the Local Defence Force.
As a Jesuit he will be remembered above all for his long record of care of the sick, and his cheerful, kindly disposition – he was always good company and will be sorely missed. God be good to him.

◆ Irish Province News

Irish Province News 51st Year No 2 1976

Rathfarnham Castle
The happy death of Fr Jerry Hayes took place on Wednesday, 21st January. Though he showed signs of failing for some six weeks and knew that the end was fast approaching, he was in full possession of his mental faculties up to about ten days before he quietly passed away at about 3 pm in the afternoon with Br Keogh’s finger on the ebbing pulse until its last beat. For Br Keogh it was the end of thirty-three years of devoted care and skilful nursing and a patience which never wavered. For Fr Hayes it was happy release from a whole life-time of suffering heroically borne. Br Joe Cleary, who took over with Br Keogh for about the last six years, rendered a service which Fr Hayes himself described as heroic. Despite his sufferings and his physical incapacity, Fr Hayes lived a full life of work and prayer and keen interest in the affairs of the Society and the Church and of the world, and of a very wide circle of intimate friends with whom he maintained regular contact either by correspondence or by timely visits to them in their homes or convents, We have no doubt that the great reward and eternal rest which he has merited will not be long deferred. Likewise, we considered it wise and fitting, that the necessary rest and well deserved reward of their labours should not be long deferred in the case of those who rendered Fr Hayes such long and faithful service. This we are glad to record Brs Keogh and Cleary have. since enjoyed in what Br Keogh has described as a little bit of heaven.
As one may easily imagine, Rathfarnham without Fr Jerry Hayes is even more empty than it was. Yet, we feel that he is still with us and will intercede for us in the many problems which our situation presents both in the present and in the future. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis!

◆ Interfuse

Interfuse No 150 : Winter 2012

Obituary

Br Joseph (Joe) Cleary (1921-2012)

21 January 1921: Born in Ringsend, Dublin.
Early education at St. Patrick's National School, Ringsend
1937 - 1948: Worked in a variety of commercial enterprises: 3 years egg-testing and store work; 8 years delivering groceries: four years by horse & cart and four driving a lorry
25 May 1948: Entered the Society at Emo
28 May 1950: First vows at Emo
1950 - 1955: Rathfarnham - Refectorian Catholic
1955 - 1965: Workers' College (NCIR) Refectorian/Houseman
1957 - 1958; Rathfarnham - Tertianship
15 August 1958: Final vows
1965 - 1970: Loyola House - Refectorian
1970 - 1976: Rathfarnham - Assistant Infirmarian (care of Fr Jeremiah Hayes); Sacristan
1976 - 1982: Milltown Park - Infirmarian; Assistant Sacristan; Ongoing Formation; experience with St. John's Ambulance and an active representative in the organization for 6 years, at rugby matches, horse racing etc.
1982 - 1993: Cherryfield Lodge - Infirmarian
1985 - 1986: Mater Hospital - Pastoral care course
1993 - 2012: Milltown Park
1993 - 2002: Sacristan, Infirmarian
2002 - 2007: Sacristan
2007 - 2008: Assisted in community
2008-2012: Cherryfield Lodge: Praying for the Church and the Society

Brother Joe Cleary was admitted to Cherryfield Lodge in May 2008 where he was active and enjoyed many outings, including a trip to Lourdes in 2011. Over the last year, he slowed down and showed signs of old age but, thankfully, he remained mentally alert to the end. His condition deteriorated over the past several weeks and he died peacefully in Cherryfield Lodge on Tuesday 9th October 2012. May he rest in the Peace of Christ.

“Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your Father takes care of them all so that not one of them falls without your Father knowing about it. Are you not worth more than many birds?” Matthew 6:26

This verse was the guiding light of Pauline Cleary (née Kelly) mother of Joseph Cleary. It later became the guiding light of Br. Joe's life. He was born on the 21st January 1921, in Ringsend Dublin. He was the third of six children. Joe often told how he was born with a “caul”. This was part of the amniotic sac which sometimes adheres to the head of a new-born baby. There is a belief that it is the sign of great good fortune and particularly that the individual will be protected from drowning. Joe did speak of how he came close to drowning on a number of occasions. He grew up beside the Liffey but never learned to swim

Joe's education began at the age of four in St. Patrick's NS in Ringsend. Joe did not take easily to schooling in a class of 70 bare footed youngsters, few of them rich enough to own a schoolbook, During these years his great relief came playing soccer, at first in bare feet, in Ringsend Park. He left school at fourteen, and got his first job helping a delivery man with the Swastika Laundry in Ballsbridge. Around this time he began playing soccer with CYMS. The team was managed by Willie Behan who went on to play for Manchester United. During his time with CYMS he won medals at every level in the League of Ireland.

Joe's next job was with Carton Bros, in Halston Street. He first worked as an egg tester and later delivered groceries for eight years, four of them by horse and cart, and four driving a lorry: altogether a more interesting preparation for the religious life than many of his Jesuit brethren. Around this time he discovered the Retreat House in Rathfarnham. He made a retreat there and got to know a Fr. Farrell and a Br. John Loftus. He soon became a promoter for the Retreat house and used to borrow the van from Carton's at weekends to ferry men to Rathfarnham for retreats.

At the outbreak of World War Two, or the Emergency, as it was known in Ireland, he enlisted in the Local Defence Force (Army Reserves) and served for the duration of the war.

During all this time Joe kept up his contact with the Jesuits in Rathfarnham and after the war his thoughts turned to a Jesuit vocation. He talked to his friend Fr. Farrell, who encouraged him, and after an interview with the Provincial, Fr. Tommy Byrne, he travelled by bus to the Jesuit noviciate at Emo Park in late 1947. After two and a half years Joe took his first vows on the 28". May 1950. In July of that year he moved to Rathfarnham Castle where he looked after the refectory for five years. In 1955 he moved to the “Catholic Workers College," where he worked for ten years. He was the first Jesuit Brother to work there.

After that he spent five years at Loyola House, the Provincial's office. Then it was back to Rathfarnham as Infirmarian. As a Jesuit he will be remembered above all for his long record of care of the sick, and his cheerful, kindly disposition. For seven long years in Rathfarnham he looked after Fr Hayes, who was confined to a wheelchair. Joe admitted that it was a heavy job, that took a lot of dedication and devotion. “I often reflected then and since that I could never have continued in a work like that without the support of my Jesuit spirituality and my prayer life”.

In 1976 he moved to Milltown Park where he served as Infirmarian and Sacristan. During this time he joined the St.John's Ambulance Brigade. This was a work that he enjoyed. During this time he also did a course in pastoral care in the Mater Hospital; he may have been the first Irish Jesuit to do so. He also spent some years working in Cherryfield Lodge and then back to Milltown.

He was always good company and will be sorely missed. In a recent interview he said: “During all these years and indeed throughout my life as a Jesuit I have always been very content. If I had to do it all again, I would not change anything”.

Rest in peace Brother Joe, you are greatly missed.

Joe Ward