Item 27 - Letter from Mr James Gubbins SJ to Irish Fr Provincial Thomas V Nolan SJ

Born: 11 February 1889, Cush House, Kilfinane, County Limerick
Entered: 07 September 1906, St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly
Ordained: 15 August 1921, Milltown Park. Dublin
Final Vows: 02 February 1924, Sacred Heart College SJ, Limerick
Died: 29 September 1946, St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin

Part of the St Francis Xavier's, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin community at the time of death

Father supports family of six children chiefly by farming. His first wife died in 1894 leaving three boys and three girls, of whom James and his twin brother were the eldest. His father remarried in 1896.

Educated at the age of nine in a Waterford Convent school until 1901. He then remained at home during 1902 for health reasons. In 1903 he went to Mungret College SJ

by 1911 at Leuven, Belgium (BELG) studying
by 1912 at Stonyhurst, England (ANG) studying

◆ Irish Province News
Irish Province News 21st Year No 4 1946
Obituary :
Fr. James Gubbins (1889-1906-1946)

Fr. James Gubbins died peacefully in St. Vincent's hospital, Dublin, at 9.15 p.m. Sunday, September 28th, conscious to within a short time of his death. He had been in hospital since July 5th.
He was born on February 11th, 1889, at Cush House, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, and educated at Mungret College. On September 7th, 1906, he entered the Society at Tullabeg, where he spent his two years noviceship and two years juniorate, under Fr. James Murphy and Fr. Michael Browne. He was sent to Louvain for his philosophy, but as he got there an attack of rheumatic fever which nearly proved fatal, he was changed to Stonyhurst where he did the remainder of his course. His five years colleges were done in Clongowes and Mungret, and his theology at Milltown Park, where he was ordained at the end of his third year, on August 15th, 1921, by Dr. Edward Byrne, who had been made Archbishop only a short time before. He made his tertianship at Tullabeg, 1922-3, under Fr. Welsby.
His first status as Priest was to the Crescent, where he spent the following nineteen years, as master, games-prefect, and as Rector from 1934 to 1942. He was an energetic, practical man, and in ordinary intercourse or in business, friendly, obliging, interested in people and their concerns. He made acquaintances quickly, and very many of these became friends. He had a wide circle of relations and kinsfolk in Limerick, and in a short time he came to occupy a very distinctive position there. He was one of the most popular and esteemed priests in the city and county, both with clergy, secular and regular, and with the laity. As rector he showed remarkable gifts of administration. The church is perhaps his chief monument at the Crescent. He found no difficulty in getting patrons and benefactors to enable him to carry out his plan of interior decoration which has made it the rich and elegant church that it is. The great advance of the school in numbers and prestige is due in great measure to him also. So popular did he become in Limerick, and so associated with the life of the city, religious, social and educational, that some of Ours used to say jokingly that his removal from Limerick would be likely to cause a “schism”.
In 1942 he came to Belvedere as Rector and in a short time had won his way to the confidence and trust of boys and parents. It was impossible not to be attracted by his friendliness and his practical, real, interest in all that concerned the school, the studies and games of the boys, the activities of the Past, and not least the newsboys' club. In 1938 he had been appointed consultor of the Province. In 1943 he was elected Chairman of the Catholic Headmasters' Association. He was thus soon in the full tide of successful activity and popularity and seemed likely to become in Dublin the figure he was in Limerick.
But serious heart trouble - perhaps the effect of his rheumatic fever - began to manifest itself, and he was ordered to rest. He did not improve, and it was decided to relieve him of the responsibilities of Rector. He was transferred to Gardiner Street as Procurator of the house. But his condition grew steadily worse. He was brought to St. Vincent's hospital in July. He knew he was gravely ill yet did not give up hope of recovery. He was always bright and courageous and full of trust in God and resignation to His will. Those who visited him in these last weeks found him the same Fr. James Gubbins, cheerful, bright and in high spirits. He had changed much in appearance, but he remained to the last the same courageous, friendly spirit he always was. He showed also the deep but unobtrusive piety which was characteristic of him.
Fr. Tyndall, Superior of the Residence of St. Francis Xavier, was celebrant of the Solemn Requiem Mass which took place on October 1st, and Fr. Vice-Provincial said the prayers at the graveside at Glasnevin. The church was crowded for the Office and Mass, many of the congregation being friends from Limerick. Not the least of the tributes paid to him came from the newsboys, who asked that some benches be reserved for them in the church.
On normal calculation Fr. Gubbins might be considered to have twenty years of fruitful activity before him. With his gifts and experience he could have given valuable service to the Province. His financial talents would have been very useful in the years to come. But God judged otherwise and found him ripe and called him to his eternal rest. With those who knew him well and especially with his contemporaries in the Society, the memory of his friendly, radiant personality will long remain vivid. May he rest in peace!

◆ The Belvederian, Dublin, 1947

Obituary

Father James Gubbins SJ

In 1942 when Fr. Gubbins came to Belvedere as Our Rector, everybody considered him to have many years of fruitful activity before him. But serious heart-trouble - perhaps the effect of an earlier illness which had nearly proved fatal during his early studies at Louvain - began to manifest itself, and he was ordered to rest. He did not improve and it was decided to relieve him of the responsibilities of Rector.

During that short time at Belvedere he had won the confidence of boys and parents. It was impossible not to be attracted by his friendliness and his practical real interest in all that concerned the school, the studies and games of the boys, the activities of the past, and not least the Newsboys' Club.

In 1943 he was elected chairman of the Catholic Headmasters Association. He was thus soon in the full tide of successful activity and popularity and seemed likely to become in Dublin the figure he was in Limerick.

He was an energetic, practical man, and in ordinary intercourse or in busiriess; friendly, obliging, interested in people and their concerns. He made acquaintances quickly and many of these became friends. As rector he showed remarkable gifts of administration, with his gifts and experience he could have given valuable service to Belvedere. But God judged otherwise, and found him ready for Himself and called hiin to eternal rest. He died peacefully in St. Vincent's Hospital at 9.15 pm, Sunday, September 28th. He had been in hospital since July 5th.

Not least of the tributes paid to him came from the newsboys, who asked that, during the Solemn Requiemn Mass at Gardiner Street, on October 1st, some benches be reserved for them in the Church

May he rest in peace.

◆ The Mungret Annual, 1947

Obituary

Father James Gubblins SJ

On September 28th, 1946, Father James Gubbins died after a prolonged illness. He was fifty-seven years of age, and had spent forty years in the Society. He entered the Society from Mungret in 1906. Later he studied philosophy at Louvain and Stonyhurst, He then taught for five years, spending from 1916-18 in Mungret. During his theological studies at Milltown Park he was ordained in 1921. In 1922 he went to Crescent College where he was to spend the next twenty years of his life. At the Crescent he was teacher, games master, and later Rector from 1934-42. He was appointed Rector of Belvedere College in 1942. Through ill-health he had to relinquish this office. Later he was appointed Procurator of St Francis Xaviers', Gardiner St, Dublin,

Father Gubbins was an able adıninistrator yet this did not hide his warm understanding of the troubles of others, and thus gave him a large circle of devoted friends. During his period of Rectorship in the Crescent he was responsible for the re-decoration of the church. His death was mourned not only by merrbers of his own family and the Society, but also by a large number of friends. His Lordship, Most Rev Dr O'Neill, presided at the Solemn Requiem Mass at the Sacred Heart Church, Crescent. To his two brothers and his sister, Sister Mary de Pazzi, we offer our condolence.

◆ The Crescent : Limerick Jesuit Centenary Record 1859-1959

Bonum Certamen ... A Biographical Index of Former Members of the Limerick Jesuit Commnnity

Father James Gubbins (1889-1946)

Born at Cush, Kilfinane and educated at Mungret College, entered the Society in 1906. He pursued his higher studies at Louvain, Stonyhurst and Milltown Park where he was ordained in 1921. Most of his priestly life was passed at Sacred Heart College where he arrived as master in 1923. The Crescent of today owes much to this great man. The prestige of the school in studies and sport increased during his long association with the Crescent (1923-42) and when he retired from the rectorship in 1942 to take up the rectorship of Belvedere College, Sacred Heart College, Limerick, was once again securely in the forefront of Irish Catholic schools. During the rectorship of Father Gubbins, the ambitious scheme of marbling the entire walls of the church sanctuary was brought to realisation. In his youth, Father Gubbins fell a victim to rheumatic fever which had its fatal after effects when he had just attained the prime of life.