Rev. Fr Timothy M. Buckley C.S.Sp
(1924 - 2007)

The death of Rev. Fr Timothy M.Buckley C.S.Sp, which occurred on October 1, 2007 at Enugu, Nigeria, marks the end of the grand era of the dedicated missionary presence of the Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers (SPIRITANS) of the Irish Province in what is presently the Onitsha region of the Spiritan Province of Nigeria. The Irish missionary era in the area opened with the arrival of Fr Joseph Shanahan C.S.Sp in 1902. He later became the leader of the Onitsha mission in 1906, and later Bishop in 1920, with seat at Onitsha. It continued with Archbishop Charles Heerey C.S.Sp in Onitsha and expanded with Bishop Whelan C.S.Sp in Owerri zone. This mission era received the “calvary” test of fidelity to the people under their pastoral charge in Biafra during the period of the Nigerian civil war 1967 – 1970, only to lead to “death” in their arrest en masse and their expulsion from Nigeria at the end of the civil war in 1970. The handful that escaped the disaster were those that filtered into Nigeria in the process of the civil war, through Lagos into the Enugu area, when Enugu was already in the victorious hands of the Nigerian forces. The last member of that few Irish Spiitan missionaries in the Spiritan Onitsha Region is Fr Timothy Buckley.
Fr Timothy Buckley C.S.Sp made his 1st religious Profession at Kilshane in Ireland on Sept 8, 1944. He was ordained priest on July 15, 1951 in Dublin and arrived to the Nigerian mission, the district of Onitsha, in October of that year.
Fr Buckley went to USA in a brief absence from Nigeria at the beginning of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. However he was one of the few Irish Spiritan priests, who were able to re-enter Nigeria through Lagos and to get to Enugu in 1969 during the war. His clear determination subsequently was to spend the rest of his life in the mission of Nigeria. He is distinguished for missionary pastoral work in what became the old Enugu diocese, including the parish of Owelli in Awgu division. He proved to be the veteran and missionary emeritus of St Joseph’s (sometime also called St Patrick’s parish) mother parish, Emene, which became his last mission.
It is a joy to the Spiritan Congregation that the missionary life of sacrifice of Fr Timothy Buckley in Nigeria is appreciated. We are grateful to the Irish Province for the gift of Fr Buckley and to the Enugu diocese for the loving care taken of the missionary in his last days of old age. When the Superior General, Very Rev. Fr John Paul Hoch C.S.Sp visited him at his sick bed in hospital on September 4, 2007, Timothy was in a peaceful rest, on the long road to the end of life. The blessing from his Religious superiors was of farewell and appreciation for a Spiritan missionary work, well done.
“The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life”.
( Jn 12, 23ff).
May God give Fr Timothy Buckley C.S.Sp, the eternal joys of heaven. Amen.

Rev. Fr Augustine Onyeneke C.S.Sp
Provincial Superior October 5, 2007