Rev. DOODY, Timothy Francis (Timothy) SJ
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* Birth in Dundalk
(鄧多克),
Ireland (愛爾蘭): [26 December 1913] # Information according to “Jesuits in Hong Kong, South China and Beyond” / Pictorial memories of the Jesuits in Hong Kong 1926 to 2016 |
Death of Father Doody, S.J.
R.I.P.
Father Timothy Francis Doody, SJ, of Wah Yan
College, Hong Kong, died in Queen Mary Hospital on Thursday, 2 March 1989, after a short
final illness, aged 75.
Father Doody was born on 26 December 1913, in Dundalk, Ireland. He received his schooling
from the Irish Christian Brothers in Synge Street, Dublin, and joined the Jesuits in 1931.
In the noviceship he had as a contemporary Father M. Corbally, who was to die, also as
member of the Wah Yan community, on 25 January this year. Father Doody and Corbally lived
in the same houses through most of their 57 years as Jesuits, and only five weeks
separated their deaths.
Father Doody (then Mr. Doody), having passed through eight years of placidly laborious
Jesuit formation, came to Hong Kong in 1939. After two years of malaria-troubled language
study, he joined the staff of Wah Yan College in the autumn of 1941. In December of that
year, war came to Hong Kong. Placidity was at an end, and amid the labours and perils of
the siege, the young Mr. Doody manifested the gifts that were to characterize his
apostolate to the end of his life.
He was appointed a Billeting Officer. Soon, as the late Father T.F. Ryan put it in his
Jesuits under Fire,
“Mr. Doody
was proving to be a
“religious
dowser”
of exceptional ability; he had a faculty for discovering Catholics in the most
unlikely places and he rarely returned from one of the billeting trips without
having a new address for a priest to visit.”
Another passage in this book also describes Mr. Doody busy amid shelling and bombing.
During a lull in his billeting work he found a new apostolate. Two priests were sheltered
in the M.E.P. Procure on Battery Path. Mr. Doody took up his position outside the Procure
and boldly enquired of all who passed if they were Catholics, and, if they were, did they
wish to go to confession. The results were almost startling. The most unexpected persons
turned out to be Catholics, from bright young things to old China hands, and after the
first start of surprise at the question in the open street in staid, pleasure-loving Hong
Kong, they generally took the turn indicated by Mr. Doody and found Father Grogan of
Father Fitzgerald of Father O’Brien ready to meet them inside.
These far-off memories show the young Mr. Doody as already possessed of a
“nose” for
apostolic and pastoral opportunities and of complete lack of shyness or diffidence in
pastoral and apostolic work. These gifts, along with a deep personal interest in the
people he was working for, were to characterize his priestly work to the end of his life.
He went to Shanghai in 1942 for his theological studies and was ordained priest there in
1945. After a year in Ireland for the completion of his Jesuit formation, he returned to
Hong Kong in 1947. From then till 1964 he was almost continuously on the staff of Wah Yan
College, Hong Kong, but he became ever more deeply involved in direct apostolate of
individuals, and this remained his all-absorbing interest until the end of his life.
In the late 1950s he was assigned for a time to Singapore to help in building St.
Ignatius’ Church there. In what may be described as typically Doodyish fashion, he
integrated donation-giving into the devotional life of the parish. This strengthened
parish life; moreover it was so effective materially that the church was paid for before
construction ceased - perhaps a unique achievement.
From 1964 onward he devoted himself to his individual apostolate in his individual way. He
instructed his converts with great care and maintained close personal contact with them
ever afterwards, taking a deep interest in their activities, their happiness, their
families and all that concerned them. He took no part in organized activities, yet few
priests had more numerous or more devoted friends.
In recent years he suffered several light strokes and a light heart attack, and took them
all lightly. On Tuesday, 28 February, he collapsed when celebrating Mass. He was
conscious, though unable to speak, when receiving the Sacrament of the Sick. He then
lapsed into a coma, and died on 2 March without recovering consciousness. He will be much
missed by many.
Cardinal John B. Wu led the concelebration of the Mass of the Resurrection in St.
Margaret’s Church, Happy Valley, on Monday, 6 March. Archbishop D. Tang, SJ, officiated at
the graveside in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Happy Valley.
10 March 1989
服務本港信眾近五十年
耶穌會杜達明神父安息
耶 穌 會 會 士 杜 達 明 神 父 ， 於 一 九 八 九 年 三 月 二 日 病 逝 於 瑪 麗 醫 院 ， 享 年 七 十 五 歲 。
杜 神 父 原 籍 愛 爾 蘭 ， 一 九 一 三 年 生 ， 一 九 三 一 年 進
入 耶 穌 會 。 一 九 三 九 年 來 港 ， 在 本 港 學 習 中 文 。 一
九 四 五 年 在 上 海 徐 家 匯 晉 鐸 。 一 九 四 七 年 返 港 後 在
香 港 華 仁 書 院 任 教 。 一 九 五 八 年 至 一 九 六 二 年 先 後
在 星 加 坡 及 吉 隆 坡 任 堂 區 牧 民 工 作 。 返 港 後 擔 任 成
人 教 理 講 授 職 務 ， 直 至 病 逝 。 耶 穌 會 於 本 月 六 日 下
午 二 時 在 聖 瑪 加 利 大 堂 舉 行 安 息 彌 撒 ， 由 胡 振 中 樞
機 主 持 ， 遺 體 隨 後 安 葬 於 跑 馬 地 墳 場 。
1989 年 3 月 10 日
