Born: 09 February 1938, Barrack Street, Bantry, County Cork
Entered: 07 `September 1957, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Ordained: 07 June 1964, St Mary’s Cathedral, James’ Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, for Diocese of Jefferson City MO, USA
Died: 14 July 2010, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St Louis, MO, USA

Left Society of Jesus: 29 May 1958

Father was Raphael, a draper, and Mother was Brigid (O’Sullivan).

2 Brothers and 1 Sister

Educated at Mungret College SJ

Baptised at St Finbarr's Catholic Church, School Road, Bantry, County Cork, 09/02/1938
Confirmed at St Finbarr's Catholic Church, School Road, Bantry, County Cork, by Dr Cohalan of Cork, 07/05/1950

Attended St Kieran’s Kilkenny after leaving having been adopted by the Diocese of Jefferson City, and was ordained priest 07/06/1964

https://www.lakeexpo.com/obituaries/monsignor-raphael-p-keyes-february-9-1938---july-14-2010/article_54dfe70c-578d-56db-bfa3-aa1cc4021384.html

Monsignor Raphael P. Keyes (February 9, 1938 - July 14, 2010)

Raphael Patrick Keyes was born on February 9, 1938 in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland, the son of the late Raphael Patrick Keyes and Bridget (O’Sullivan) Keyes. Father Keyes was baptized at St. Finnbarr Church on February 9, 1938 and confirmed by Bishop Daniel Cohalan of Cork, Ireland on May 7, 1958. He is survived by his brother, Markus and sister, Cait. His brother Michael preceded him in death.

Father Keyes received his primary education at St. Finnbarr’s Primary School 1942-1951; later at Mungret College, Limerick 1951-1957 and finally at St. Kieran’s College 1958-1964. For a short period of time, Father Keyes was a novice of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus until he joined the Diocese of Jefferson City as a seminarian in 1958. He received Subdiaconate and Diaconate in Ireland in 1963.

He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ on June 7, 1964 for the Diocese of Jefferson City by the Most Reverend Peter Birch, Bishop of Ossory, in the Cathedral of St. Mary, Kilkenny, Ireland. Bishop Joseph M. Marling, CPPS of Jefferson City, welcomed him to the United States and assigned him as an assistant at St. Francis Xavier, Taos in July 1964; and then on March 16, 1966 to the first cathedral of the Diocese, St. Peter’s in Jefferson City.

With continued missionary spirit, in 1967 Father Keyes responded to Bishop Marling’s call for priests to serve in the newly-formed missions in Peru. Amid the challenges of political tension and upheaval during the 1960’s and 1970’s in his new mission field, Father Keyes served with distinction at Marcona and Nasca for 35 years. He was a Coordinator of the Mission Team for 20 years, and for many years served as an advisor to the Peruvian Bishops Conference.

On May 28, 1989, Father Keyes celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Ordination at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City with Bishop Michael F. McAuliffe and his fellow jubilarian classmates.

When Father Keyes returned to priestly service within the Diocese of Jefferson City, on July 1, 2002 Bishop John R. Gaydos appointed him administrator of St. Anthony Church in Camdenton. On November 1, 2002, he was appointed pastor of the Parish of St. Anthony in Camdenton and the Mission of Our Lady of Snows in Climax Springs. Then, on July 1, 2009, he was appointed pastor of St. Bernadette Church in Hermitage, in addition to his other pastoral responsibilities. He served these parishes until his death.

Father Keyes was an appointed member of the Presbyteral Council from June 1, 2002 until his death. During his time on the Presbyteral Council, he held the offices of Secretary, Vice Chair, and then Chair from 2007 to 2010. He was appointed a Diocesan Consultor from 2003 to 2008. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Diocese of Jefferson City Mission Committee from April 2003 and a member of the Priests’ Mutual Benefit Society Board from June 2005. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI named him a Prelate of Honor on June 28, 2006.

Internment will take place at a later date in Bantry, Ireland.

https://notices.irishtimes.com/death/keyes-monsignor-raphael-rapheal/5807238

KEYES Monsignor Raphael, Rapheal: Death

KEYES Monsignor Raphael Newtown, Bantry and Camdenton (Diocese of Jefferson City), MO. USA. - July 14, 2010 (peacefully) in the care of the staff of Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO. Brother of the late Michael, sadly missed by his loving sister Cait and brother Marcus, sisters-in-law Patsy and Glenda, nephew Ralph, his wife Eileen, grandnephew Michael, grandniece Rachel, his many friends and colleagues in Peru, his friends and coworkers in the Diocese of Jefferson City, relatives and his large circle of friends. May he rest in peace. Removal tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8pm from Coakley's Funeral Home, Chapel Street to St. Finabarr's Church, Bantry. Requiem Mass on Thursday at 12 noon, funeral afterwards to the Abbey Cemetery, Bantry. Family flowers only, donation in lieu, if desired, to Bantry Hospice Project, Newtown, Bantry.

Born: 21 April 1942, Tobernahoe, Piltown, County Kilkenny
Entered: 27 September 1977, Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin
Ordained: 06 June 1965, St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny (pre Entry)
Final vows: 22 April 1990, St Francis Xavier’s, Gardiner St, Dublin
Died: 19 April 2023, Cherryfield Lodge, Milltown Park, Dublin

Part of the Manresa Community at the time of death

Older brother of Bishop Martin Drennan

FSS

    Born :  21st April 1942     Piltown, Co Kilkenny
    Raised :    Piltown, Co Kilkenny
        Early Education at Kilkenny NS; CBS Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary; St Kieran’s, Kilkenny; San Diego Diocese; Gregorian University, Rome, Italy

6th June 1965 Ordained at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny
27th September 1977 Entered Society at Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin
27th September 1979 First Vows at Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin
1978-1979 John Austin House - Second Year Noviciate; Vocational Counselling at John’s Lane; Assistant Retreat Director in Rathfarnham
1979-1988 Campion House - Vocational Counselling
1988-1989 Tertianship at St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg and Campion House, Osterley, London
1989-1993 Gardiner St - Superior; Vocational Counselling; Director of Works
22nd April 1990 Final Vows at St Francis Xavier’s, Gardiner St, Dublin
1993-2000 Manresa House - Director of Ignatian Centre and Retreat House; Directs Spiritual Exercises
1994 Rector; Bursar
1999 Spiritual Direction at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co Kildare
2000-2003 Clongowes Wood College SJ- Spiritual Director at St Patrick’s College National Seminary & Pontifical University
2003-2010 Milltown Park - General Secretary CORI (to 2007)
2005 Vice-Rector
2007 Child Protection Delegate; Spirituality Delegate
2010-2012 Loyola House - Child Protection Delegate; Spirituality Delegate
2012-2023 Manresa House - Rector; Child Protection Delegate; Spirituality Delegate; Directs Spiritual Exercises
2021 Directs Spiritual Exercises; Building Programme; Healthcare

https://jesuit.ie/news/mike-drennan-sj-his-legacy-lives-on/

Mike Drennan SJ: His legacy lives on

Fr Mike Drennan SJ died peacefully, surrounded by his family, at Cherryfield Lodge nursing home, Milltown Park, Dublin on 19 April 2023.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin, four other bishops, and many priests joined the Jesuits and people from all over Ireland for Fr Mike’s funeral Mass in St Francis Xavier’s Church, Gardiner Street, Dublin on 24 April, followed by burial at Glasnevin Cemetery. Fr Mike is predeceased by his brother Martin, former Bishop of Galway, who died only five months ago.

Fr Mike was born in 1942 and raised in Piltown, County Kilkenny. He was educated at Kilkenny NS, CBS Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, and St Kieran’s secondary school in Kilkenny. He trained for the diocesan priesthood in St Kieran’s diocesan college, Kilkenny, and was ordained at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny in 1965. He ministered in San Diego Diocese, USA, and studied psychology at Gregorian University, Rome.

Fr Mike entered the Jesuits at Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin in 1977, and worked in the field of vocational counselling for many years while living at John Austin House, Campion House, and Gardiner Street in Dublin.

After taking Final Vows he served in numerous roles, including as Director of Manresa Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, Dublin; Spiritual Director at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth; Secretary General of CORI (Conference of Religious in Ireland), and Child Protection Delegate for the Irish Jesuit Province. He was a skilled spiritual director and gave retreats all over Ireland for many years.

He recently published a book on the ministry of spiritual direction entitled See God Act (Messenger Publications) ». He also completed a full liturgical year of gospel inspiration points for the Sacred Space book (2024) and online prayer website – a job normally done by at least 12 people, according to John McDermott, Director of Sacred Space, who greatly appreciated the work he did and the insights he shared. “His work will help the prayer of many thousands of people down the years to come,” says John; “His inspiration still goes on.” As Fr Tim Healy SJ said in his homily at the funeral Mass, “What Mike did he did with energy and creativity. During the pandemic, for example, with the help of Piaras Jackson at Manresa, he recorded hours of video and presided over hours of Zoom meetings in online retreats for diocesan priests.”

Regarding this new online presence, Piaras Jackson noted that “The pandemic seemed likely to narrow his scope and limit his ability to minister, but he mastered Zoom and was chuffed to find himself featuring on videos where he offered material for hope and meaning at a confused time. Casual YouTube surfers looking for snappy upbeat content may have quickly slid past his presentations, but those who knew and trusted him appreciated their thoughtful and rich content and welcomed how Mike was reaching out and relating rather than waiting it out or staying silent; for him, this was “keeping in contact as best we can” – communicating, not about himself, but opening new perspectives and meaning for others. And it’s important to say that all of Mike’s activity sprung from his own prayer; having invited us Jesuits in Manresa to commit to a time of daily prayer together during the lockdowns, I value the memory of how Mike was faithfully present day after day in our community chapel.”

As he lay in repose in Cherryfield on Sunday 23 April, a steady stream of people from all over the country came to say a final farewell and offer their condolences to his family, including brothers John, Paddy, and Jim. Many shared stories of how much Fr Mike had meant to them. It was clear that all through his lifetime he had encountered many people from a variety of backgrounds and all of them held one thing in common, namely the esteem and genuine affection they felt for him.

Mary Rickard, Health Delegate for the Jesuits, noted that it was fitting that he spent his last weeks in Cherryfield when in earlier times as a board member for over fifteen years he was centrally involved in setting up both the Milltown community building and Cherryfield Lodge nursing home as a centre of excellence for older or convalescing Jesuits from home and abroad.

At a meeting of the board just after his burial Mary Rickard, as Chair, read out the prayer attributed to St Ignatius which she felt summed up Fr Mike’s life of dedicated service to God: “Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we are doing your will.”

At the end of the Mass, Fr Mike’s nephew Karol spoke warmly of the man who was his uncle and summed up well the effect Mike’s short illness and premature death had on his fellow Jesuits. “It was like an earthquake,” he said. He will be sorely missed. But his videos are available on Manresa’s YouTube » and ‘Retreats @home’ ». They will surely remain valued by the many who were blessed by Mike’s generous life; the conclusion of his first video appearance is poignant as Mike offers an Easter blessing » before walking away.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

https://www.manresa.ie/team/retreat-team/mike-drennan-sj#:~:text=Fr%20Mike%20Drennan%20was%20born,diocese%20of%20San%20Diego%2C%20California.

Mike Drennan SJ

Fr Mike Drennan was born in 1942. Like every good young Kilkenny boy his recreation centred around hurling. After secondary school he entered St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny where he studied for the priesthood and was accepted for the diocese of San Diego, California. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Collier on 6 June 1965.

In August 1965 Mike set sail for San Diego where he was to serve for the next 12 years. By all accounts he was very popular as a young priest. He served in many parishes. Some ten years after ordination he was sent to Rome by his diocese to study psychology at the Rulla Institute in the Gregorian College. It was in Rome that his interest in the Society of Jesus was nurtured. He was very successful in his studies and entered the Jesuits in 1977. Mike used to refer to himself as a backdoor Jesuit. There certainly nothing backdoorish about his commitment and his life as a Jesuit. He was a true follower of St Ignatius and that was to be borne out in his study and work in the area of the “Exercises”. He made them his own and that is to be seen in his last publication.

Mike operated through the “Mo direach”. He always believed in calling a spade a spade. I shudder to think how many people he directed and helped through the Exercises, too many to count. Apart from the “Exercises” he also used his skills in psychology to help many people. Some times Mike was often seen as working with “Religious” but his lay clientele was also quite sizeable. Because of his life as a diocesan priest he was able to help many diocesans who came to see him for advice and help. Mike was all things to all people. At the time of his passing and since his funeral I’ve received many letters and cards of praise in thanks giving for his help and advice.

Mike died three days short of his 81st birthday in April 2023. His life was a life of great achievement and help. Many will miss him. Mike did not leave us high and dry. We are all beneficiaries of his wisdom and Christian commitment. He helped many in his work but he also trained many directors and there lies his great legacy. Mike was humble and shy about his achievements and never boastful. As I write this script I’m being careful not to canonise Mike, as he’d not appreciate that. He deserves every praise we can give him and thank God for having been such a great presence. “May he rest in peace”.

William Reynolds SJ, May 2023