Born: 25 November 1843, Portarlington, County Laois
Entered: 04 September 1863, Milltown Park, Dublin
Ordained: 1880
Final vows: 25 March 1885
Died: 29 June 1900, Collège de la Sainte-Famille, Cairo, Egypt

by 1866 at Drongen, Belgium (BELG) studying
by 1871 at Stonyhurst, England (ANG) studying
by 1878 at St Beuno’s, Wales (ANG) studying
by 1884 at Roehampton, London (ANG) making Tertianship
by 1901 in Collège Sainte Famille, Cairo, Egypt (LUGD) working

◆ HIB Menologies SJ :
Early education was at Clongowes.

After First Vows he was sent to Tullabeg for some Regency, as Prefect of Discipline.
He then went to Stonyhurst for three years Philosophy after which he returned to Tullabeg. He spent eight years in total working at Tullabeg, and his friends began to joke him, calling him the “Perpetual Scholastic”! In those days, given the scarcity of men to run the Colleges, if you were good at your job, you risked being penalised by a long stay in the Colleges, before being sent to Theology. However, Patrick never complained, and his sole desire was to do the will of his Superiors.
He was eventually sent to St Beuno’s for four years of Theology, and after Ordination, he made Tertianship at Roehampton.

From Ordination to his death he spent his life teaching. He was an excellent Greek scholar, and a first class general teacher. Those who met him were impressed by his charm and he made many friends, and easily. He had a very dry sense of humour, and even when he was in pain himself, his humour never failed him. He was a very honest and straightforward man. He was thought of as a sound Theologian and a very prudent advisor, so his opinions in both Theology and ordinary life were highly respected.

For some years before his death he had been failing notably. So, for health reasons it was decided to send him to Egypt. He spent nine months in Cairo, acting as Chaplain to the English troops, he edified all by his patience with suffering, and by his piety.

The Rector of Collège de la Sainte-Famille, Cairo wrote to the HIB Provincial : “I say nothing of the sweet tender piety of Father Anderson, of his unalterable patience, of his conformity to the will of God. In death he was truly the same holy and humble religious who so edified us during his sojourn among us. Shortly before he died, he said to me ‘Now I know the folly of those who put off their conversion till the hour of death. I have now but one thought, and even that I can scarcely turn to the subject on which alone I should be fixed’, and he told those around him that he willingly gave up his life for the good of the Egyptian Mission and for the conversion of its people”.
He died at Collège de la Sainte-Famille, Cairo, Egypt 29 June 1900

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973

Father Patrick Anderson 1843-1900
At the College of the Holy Family in Cairo on June 29th 1900, died Fr Patrick Anderson. A native of Portarlington, born on November 25th 1843, he was educated at Clongowes.

After his entry into the Society in 1863, the remarkable thing about his was that he spent eight years as a scholastic in the laborious work of the classroom, till at length his friends dubbed him jocosely the “perpetual scholastic”. Indeed, in those days when our numbers were comparatively few, and a great amount of work to be done, a good Master ran the risk of prolonged Colleges. But Mr Anderson, as he was then, never dreamt of making any remonstrations to Superiors, being happy to leave himself entirely at the disposal of obedience.

After taking his last vows in 1865, he spent the remainder of his life teaching and in the ministry. He was an excellent Greek scholar, a talent which he joined to the simple charm of manner and genial character, which won him many and fast friends. He was a man of very sound judgement, whether on matters of Theology or the affairs of daily life.

Towards the close of 1899, he was sent to Cairo, where it was thought the dry and warm climate might benefit his failing health. For nine months he acted as Chaplain to the English troops. However, his health continued to worsen and he died on June 29th 1900.

Shortly before his death he said to the Rector “Now I know the folly of those who put off their conversion till the hour of death, I have now but one thought, and even that I can scarcely turn to the subject on which alone I should wish to be fixed”. He told all those round him that he willingly gave up his life for the good of the Egyptian Mission and for the conversion of its people.

◆ The Clongownian, 1900

Obituary

Father Patrick Anderson SJ

Father Anderson, who was so well known to many Clongownians, died at Cairo on the 29th of June. He had been for some time in failing health, which was partly the reason why he had been sent abroad. Nevertheless, he rendered good service while at Cairo, especially in attending to the spiritual wants of his Catholic fellow-country men. Father Anderson was a boy at Clongowes in the early sixties, and entered the Novitiate at Milltown Park directly from Clongowes in 1863. A few years later he was appointed Master at Tullabeg, and with the exception of the years he spent abroad studying Philosophy and Theology, all his life was spent in working in Tullabeg and, Clongowes. Father Anderson will be particularly remembered by those who knew him for his kindly, genial character, and his readiness at all times to help others whenever his good sense, practical knowledge of the world, and sterling charity could be of any assistance to them. RIP

Born: 18 January 1911, Portarlington, County Laois
Entered: 06 November 1929, St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly
Died: 04 September 1936, Dublin

Part of the Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare community at the time of death

Early education at St Joseph’s CBS, Portarlington and Mungret College SJ

◆ Irish Province News
Irish Province News 12th Year No 1 1937
Clongowes :
On the evening of Friday, September 4th, came the news of the happy death of one of our new Scholastics, Mr William Keenoy, S.J. His unexpected death came as a great shock to all as he had been operated on successfully for appendicitis on August 1st. On September 3rd peritonitis set in. He died shortly after a second operation. The younger members of the Community are deeply affected by his loss. RIP.

Obituary :
Mr. William Keenoy

We are grateful to Mr. O’Brolchain for the following appreciation :
Those who knew Mr. William Keenoy slightly found him affable and anxious to make friends. Strangers in the house he treated with a frank and winning courtesy. He made them feel at home, and put himself freely at their service. Those who knew him somewhat better were surprised to find in him unexpected reserves , but those who knew him best of all penetrated beyond these to the quick sympathy, and the rare genius for friendship.
His character was unusual in the qualities it combined , the liveliness of a schoolboy with a steadiness quite exceptional, keen interest in games with book-learned skill. A shrewd observer said that he was a Tom Sawyer or a Penrod in real life. He was only a novice then, fresh from school, and it was very true. To the end what is fine in the schoolboy remained with him, but more and more, steadiness and reliability of character rose up behind it. So, too, did he combine intellectual and physical interests. He was a proficient in football, hurling, tennis and handball. He liked to take long walks or long cycle rides when opportunity offered, or to swim long distances. But side by side with this went devotion to the things of the mind. Gifted with intellectual powers well beyond the average, he supplemented them with hard work, work too hard, for he weakened under the strain.
The facts of his life are soon told, He was born in Portarlington on January 18th, 1911, studied at the Christian Brothers school there with considerable brilliance, gaining a scholarship. He spent a few months at Mungret College, and began his Noviceship at Tullabeg, 6th November 1949. His two years in the Noviceship were very well spent. His boyish character matured and deepened, and he developed a steady personal piety - unostentatious and unaggressive. He did not criticise the ways of others or try to draw them to his mind, but neither was he easily drawn by others. In Rathfarnham he settled down to scholastic pursuits as to accustomed toil. His studies included Economics and this gave him an interest in social problems, and thereafter a constant ambition of his was to study such problems and help in their solution. He obtained his degree with distinction, but overstrained in doing so, and from this strain he suffered during all the two years of life that were left to him. In 1934 he began Philosophy in Tullabeg but had to be sent to teach after two years owing to the weakness of his health. By the status of July, 1936, he was sent to Clongowes and was taking up his duties there with all his old cheerful energy when an attack of appendicitis sent him to hospital. On Monday, August 31st, he was operated on. The operation seemed quite successful but then complications most unexpectedly set in. He became delirious. Another operation alas attempted and failed. On Friday, September 4th, he died and was buried in Glasnevin on the following Monday - the day the boys he was to teach returned to school. His death came as a great shock to all who knew him. That he was young made it tragic, that he was such as he was deepened the tragedy. His life had been more full of promise than is usual, exact in religious observance, steady in character, unusual in mental equipment, and possessed of a severely practical mind he seemed destined to do great work for God here, but God took him to do it elsewhere. Those who knew him well are grateful for his friendship. In many ways his life is an inspiration, perhaps most of all in its gaiety in the face of trouble. Unknown, probably to most of his acquaintances, he had many and increasing troubles in his life, but they never soured him, to the last his laughter was merry and frequent. One remembers him smiling his peculiarly attractive smile, and is encouraged to meet trouble with the gaiety with which he met it.

◆ Mungret Annual, 1939

Our Past

William Keenoy SJ

Rev William Keenoy SJ, (1929) died very unexpectedly last August after an operation for appendicitis. His untimely death is very much regretted by the inembers of the Society of Jesus in Ireland no less than by the large circle of friends he made in the school days at Mungret. A native of Portarlington, he received his primary and secondary education at the Chrisitan Brothers Schools. Prior to his entering the Society, he spent some months at Mungret, where, in a very short time he . came to be recognised as a student of great intellectual power.

Having completed his noviceship and taken his vows at St Mary's, Emo, he was sent to Dublin to study at the National University, where he read a brilliant course in Economics and Political Economy. But signs of serious ill-health soon manifested themselves, and after a few years of suffering, borne with edifying patience and resignation, he died a holy and peace fuldeath. May he rest in peace.

Born: 27 December 1808, Portarlington, County Laois
Entered: 16 March 1844, Frederick, MD, USA - Marylandiae Province (MAR)
Ordained: 1850
Died: 02 April 1852, Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA, USA - Marylandiae Province (MAR)