Father Patrick McGovern, SJ
Born: 28 October 1920, Iona Road, Glasnevin, Dublin
Entered: 07 September 1938, St Mary’s, Emo, County Laois, Ireland
Ordained: 31 July 1953, Milltown Park, Dublin
Final Vows: 02 February 1980
Died: 30 September 1984, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
- 1947-49 Canton – learning Cantonese
- 1949-50 Los Angeles (Loyola University) – studying sociology and industrial relations
- 1950-54 Milltown – theology
- 1954-55 Rathfarnham – tertianship
- 1955 – Hong Kong
Of the 29 remaining years in which he served the Hong Kong mission, he spent four overseeing and raising funds for the building of the church and hostel in Petaling Jaya. The remainder he spent in Ricci Hall (11 years), Wah Yan College Hong Kong (9 years). Wah Yan College Kowloon (4 up years) and Cheung Chau (1 year).
When he returned as a priest in 1955, he taught English, History and Religious Knowledge in Wah Yan College Hong Kong for two years, before going to Malaysia for two years. It was there that he felt the realisation of the ideals of his priesthood. As part-time Armed Forces Chaplain, he was always saying Mass for young adults, instructing young men in the Faith and helping to build the church in Petaling Jaya.
From the catalogues his most frequent assignments seem to have been with the Industrial Relations Institute, as promoter/director/counsellor (for 16 years); minister, and teacher/lecturer especially in sociology. About 1977 he became a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (Legco), and about 1980 also of the Executive Council (Exco). These two bodies advise the Governor in his work of ruling the territory. About 1982 he ceased to be a member of Exco but continued as a member of Legco till his death.
Father McGovern made a study of the social encyclicals in some depth and used them extensively in his speeches in the Legislative Council, without giving explicit quotations. In his economic thinking he had as little time for the Manchester School as he had for Marxism, and he was more than sceptical of the method of Marxist social analysis. His great interest was the betterment of the living conditions of the little man which he envisaged as his role in government by way of promoting faith and justice.
When Father Patrick Joy left Malaysia to return to Ireland in 1958, Father McGovern and Father Geoffrey Murphy came down from Hong Kong to continue the work of building the Church of St Francis Xavier in Petaling Jaya which Father Joy had begun. Father McGovern was a tireless fund-raiser for the new church while Father Murphy saw to the many practical details involved in the construction.
Reference:
https://www.jesuitarchives.ie/fr-patrick-mcgovern-sj
https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/PT-McGovern.htm