Born: 1605, County Waterford
Entered: 11 June 1626 - Villarejo, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Final Vows: 28 March 1644, Paraguay
Died: 15 March 1675, Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia - Nuevo Reino Mission : COL, ECU, VEN (NEU REI)

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
In pencil 1628 At Villareal

◆ Fr John MacErlean SJ :
Shortly after Entry was sent to South America and was the first Irishman to enter the new Province of “Nuevo Reino” (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela)
Having completed his studies at Santa Fé de Bogotá, he engaged in missionary work, being a distinguished preacher in Spanish and Indian languages.
1641 Minister at Fontibón Residence (suburb of Bogotá)
1655 Professor of Theology at Santa Fé de Bogotá
1656-1663 Rector of Merida College, Venezuela
1664-1671 Rector of Pamplona College, Colombia

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973
Father Francis Lea SJ 1605-1675
Fr Francis Lea of Waterford was the first Irishman to join the Province of Nuevo Reino, comprising the modern South American States of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

He was born in 1605 and he entered the Society at Villarejo in Spain in 1626, whence he passed soon to South America.

He did his studies at Santa Fe de Bogota and thereafter was engaged in missionary work. He was a distinguished preacher in Spanish and Indian. Later on in his life he was engaged in administration and professing, being Rector in Venezuela and Colombia.

He died at Santa Fe de Bogota in 1675 after a strenuous life of missionary and administrative activity.

Born: 1597, Castlehaven, County Cork
Entered: 15 October 1614, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Ordained: 1623/4, Royal College Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
Died: 1634

Left Society of Jesus: 02 February 1626

◆ In Chronological Catalogue Sheet as “O’Driscol” Ent 1614

◆ Old/15 (1) “O’Driscol”, RIP after 1625

◆ Old/16 has : “P Conor O’Driscol”; DOB 1597 Cork; Ent 1614 Spain; RIP post 1626

◆ Old/17 has “Driscol” Dimissi 02/02/1626 (CAST)

◆ CATSJ I-Y has “Cornelius O’Driscol”; DOB 1595 Castlehaven; Ent 1614; RIP 1634
First Vows 18/02/1616
1622-1625 At Salamanca studying Theology. Good student, talented enough to teach Arts and Theology
1625 At Arevalo College CAST

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
O’Driscol

DOB 1597 Cork; Ent 1614 Spain; RIP post 1626

He was a Priest in Spain in 1617 and 1626 (CATS 1617 and 1626)

In pen
At College of Salamanca 1625; Made First Vows 1614; Had studied three years Philosophy and 4 Theology

◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Addenda Irishmen who entered Rome and Spain 1561-1772 (Finegan)
Cornelius Driscol 17 of Ireland
Son of Thady Driscol and Margaret Carti
15 October 1614 Entered CAST

◆ Francis Finegan Notes
Cornelius or Conor

DOB 1598 Castlehaven; Ent 01/12/1614 CAST; Ord 1623/24 Salamanca; LEFT 02/02/1626

Son of Thady (a colonel in the Spanish Army) and Margaret née Carty

After First Vows he was sent for studies to Pamplona and Royal College Salamanca where he was Ordained 1623/24
His Superiors had remarked his ability in Theology and sent him for post-graduate studies also at Salamanca. He did not get the chance of settling down to his scholastic career, however, as his parents, then living in Coruña, claimed his financial help in their poverty. The General and the Spanish Superiors tried so to arrange matters so that Thady O’Driscoll might be helped in his penury while his son could remain a Jesuit, whilst at the same time the Superior of the Irish Mission was trying to recruit him. But eventually yielding to the pressure of the O’Driscolls and their son, the General dismissed him in 02/02/1626