EDWARD (E. J.) McCARTHY

Enterprising Columban who helped establish the order in the United States

and worked in the Philippines and Burma, where he was interned

Student 1908-1915

 

 

Edward McCarthy was born at Ovens, County Cork, Ireland in 1890. He studied at C.B.S., North Monastery, Cork, and at St. Finbarr’s College, Farranferris, Cork, Ireland before going to St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth in 1908 to study for priesthood in the Diocese of Cork. He was ordained priest in 1915 and joined the Society of St. Columban at its foundation in 1916. For the next two years he was engaged in a variety of apostolates - promotion, editing and managing The Far East and teaching. He went to the U.S. in 1918 where he was editor and manager of The Far East office, as well as being Regional Director. In 1935, he went to the Philippines where he founded Student Catholic Action. Sickness [nervous exhaustion] overtook him and he went to Australia for two years [1939-41] to recuperate. He went to Burma to do visitation on behalf of Fr. William McGoldrick, Regional Director of Asia and residing in Shanghai. Father E.J., as he was fondly called, was forced to remain there until 1945 when he was released from Japanese internment. While in Burma he undertook the writing of the history of the Church in Burma. Frs. E.J. and Michael Barry left Bangalore hospital in 1945 and went to England for medical treatment. In 1947, he was appointed to the U.S. and for the next 10 years he resided at St. Columban’s, Los Angeles, keenly interested in all Society matters. While standing at a city intersection two cars collided and one was thrown to the sidewalk, hitting him. His skull and collar-bone were fractured and he survived for two weeks after the accident. he died in Los Angeles, California on September 14, 1957 at the age of sixty seven. Father E.J. is buried at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.

 

Source: Columban Archives