Fr Michael Harrison died rather suddenly in the Dalgan Nursing Home on 17 January 2017.
Born on 21 March 1924 at Bunaduff, Castlegal, Co Sligo, he was educated at Castlegal NS and Summerhill College, Sligo. He came to St Columban’s, Navan in 1942 and was ordained a priest on 21 December 1948.
The following year he undertook graduate studies in the USA. In 1952, he was appointed to the Philippines as Far East correspondent of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, a post he held until 1956.
He was then called back to work in the Omaha Central Offices. He spent the next fifteen years there and was credited with organising the mail operation to new levels of efficiency. From 1972 to 1975 he was editor of Columban Mission.
In the years that followed he served in the Columban houses in West Chester PA, in Quincy, MA, in Philadelphia and in Westminster CA.
In 1984, he was appointed secretary to Central Administration in Ireland for three years. There followed appointments to Los Angeles, Omaha and Bristol, RI.
He left Bristol for Ireland in 2011. The variety of the tasks entrusted to Michael over the years are an indication of his many gifts, his discretion and his quiet competence. Congenial, wise and never judgemental, he was deeply appreciated by his colleagues. He transferred to the Dalgan Nursing Home at the end of 2015.
