Born: 19 November 1906, Rathealy, Fermoy, Co Cork
Entered: 07 September 1940, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Ordained: 16 April 1938

Left Society of Jesus: 09 July, 1941

Priest of the Southwark Diocese.

Father was a solicitor in Fermoy who died in 1933.

Fourth of seven sons (1 deceased) and four sisters.

Early education was at Loreto Convent and Christian Brothers Schools, St Colman’s, Fermoy and Mungret College SJ.

Leaving school he started as a solicitor’s apprentice at his father’s practice, and attended law lectures at UCD in Dublin, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1929 and worked at his father’s office until 1933, when he left to study for priesthood.

He spent two years at St John’s Catholic Seminary, Wonersh, Guildford, Surrey. He then went to the Beda College in Rome for Theology and was ordained 16 April 1938 in John Lateran’s Basilica, saying his first Mass at St Mary Majors - like St Ignatius.

First appointment was as a Chaplain to the Holy Cross Convent, Haslemere and then more permanently at St Mary’s Parish, Preston Park, Brighton.

Born: 04 January, 1927, Butterfield Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin City, County Dublin
Entered: 07 September 1944, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Ordained: 02 June 1985, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy (White Fathers)
Died: 16 December 2019, Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, Dublin City, County Dublin

Left Society of Jesus: 16 May 1950

Father, Michael C, was a Commandant in the Irish Army. Mother was Winifred (Richardson)

Only boy with three younger sisters.

Early education was at a Convent school in Dublin and then briefly one in Cork. He then went to Belvedere College SJ for almost 10 years.

Baptised at Church of Mary Immaculate Refuge of Sinners, Rathmines, 09/01/1927
Confirmed at the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, by Dr Wall of Dublin, 01/02/1938

1944-1946: St Mary's, Emo, Novitiate
1946-1949: Rathfarnham Castle, Juniorate, UCD
1949-1950: Clongowes Wood College SJ, Regency

Became a Priest with the White Fathers

Address 2000: The Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia, St Joseph’s Cathedral, Abu Dhabi, Unites Arab Emirates

Born: 24 July 1915, Shannon View, Ennis Road, Kildysart, County Clare
Entered: 07 September 1935, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Died: 14 February 2002, Cayman Islands

Left Society of Jesus: 05 August 1942

Father, Thomas was a road ganger for Clare County Council. Mother was Brigid (Carmody).

Youngest of four boys with four sisters

Educated at a National School for ten years, then he went to Mungret College SJ (1932-1935).

Baptised at St Michael’s, Kildysart, 25/07/1915
Confirmed at St Michael’s, Kildysart, by Dr Fogarty of Killaloe, 03/06/1928

1935-1937: St Mary's, Emo, Novitiate
1937-1940: Rathfarnham Caltle, Juniorate, UCD
1940-1942: St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, Philosophy

Address 2000: Strathnaim Street, Bermondsey, London, England

After leaving he became a priest : Right Reverend Monsignor John A Meaney, was Regional Director for the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies in Beirut. He retired to the Cayman Islands in 1984 serving as pastor of St Ignatius Parish on Grand Cayman from 1984 to 1995.

Msgr. John A. Meaney, CNEWA Director, Dies
By CNEWA Staff

Category: News 19 February 2002
Msgr. John A. Meaney, CNEWA’s Regional Director in Beirut from 1978 through 1984, died on 14 February in the Cayman Islands. He was 86.

Before he joined CNEWA, Meaney had served in the Caribbean as Regional Director for the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies. When Msgr. Richard Mahowald, then Director of CNEWA’s Rome office, invited Msgr. Meaney to take charge of CNEWA’s operating agency in the Middle East, the Pontifical Mission, Msgr. Meaney said: “I don’t speak Arabic, and I know nothing about Arabs and very little about the Middle East.”

Msgr. Meaney proved to be a fast learner. He arrived in Lebanon at a particularly dangerous time. Israel had invaded the south and Syria had attacked eastern Beirut, displacing some 60,000 families. He organized relief efforts that distributed food, clothing and medical supplies. He was also instrumental in rebuilding schools, hospitals and housing facilities. Although based in Beirut, Meaney also reviewed operations in Amman and Jerusalem.

He was known for his fundraising skills and his compassion for the suffering children of Lebanon.

John Andrew Meaney was born in County Clare, Ireland, on 24 July 1915. He graduated from University College in Dublin in 1940 and received a master’s degree in English from New York University in 1952. He studied at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome from 1956 to 1960, and was ordained on 2 April 1960 for the Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica.

After ordination he was appointed headmaster of St Mary’s College in Jamaica, 1960-1965. He served as pastor of St. Ignatius Parish on Grand Cayman from 1984 to 1995, when he retired. He was named a domestic prelate in 1974. Burial took place in Ireland.