RIP: 18/11/2022 - Donegal (Ireland)
Edward McBride was born on 23rd February 1927 and brought up in Belfast. Under the influence of Fr Dominic Crilly SDS, a fellow Belfast man, he entered the Salvatorian novitiate at Christleton Hall, Chester in 1948 and took the religious name Malachy. He would later take a degree in Classics at Queen’s University, Belfast. However, after priestly studies and ordination, he taught philosophy at St Mary’s College, Sindlesham and Breakspear College, Abbots Langley, before a brief period teaching at the Salvatorian College, Harrow Weald. He then served as an Assistant at St Laurence’s, Birkenhead, where he became involved with the work of the Apostleship of the Sea, clambering aboard ships to celebrate mass for seafarers. He also lived for some time at the Star of the Sea Social Club in Birkenhead, which was doubtless an education in the University of Life.
As a young priest, Fr. Malachy suffered severely with his health, even being hospitalised on a number of occasions. Yet he did quite a lot of supply work in the diocese of Shrewsbury and would often regale the brethren during recreation with tales about eccentric parish priests he had encountered. After further teaching in Christleton junior seminary, he then taught philosophy at the Westminster diocesan seminary at Ware in Hertfordshire, as well as general subjects at Cardinal Vaughan School, London.
However, much of Fr. Malachy’s career as a priest was taken up in administration. He was elected Provincial Superior of (what was then) the British Province in 1975. This was a position he was to hold until 1984, despite his ill health. He did not drive and so would often rely on trains for the purposes of visitations or sorting out emergencies. This earned him the title in the Province of “Blessed Malachy of the Railways”. For all that, he was especially good with priests facing difficulties with alcohol or other personal problems. He worked hard to ensure that such liminal members were kept in the fold as far as possible.
After his stint as Provincial, he took a Diploma in Theology at Heythrop College, which he achieved with distinction. Yet it was while working later as Novice Director in Ireland that he was elected as a delegate to the General Chapter in 1987. Out of the blue, he found himself Superior General, a role he fulfilled for the next six years.
This new assignment involved much globe-trotting to such places as Colombo, Taiwan and the Congo. There are many stories of these times as General; of sleeping in a room full of bats in Colombia, to camping in the African bush with lions roaring all night. One of the highlights of Father Malachy's tenure as Superior General was certainly the official relaunch of the Salvatorian presence in India, where he laid the foundation stone of our house in Bangalore in 1990. This started a whole new missionary movement in our Society that in the following years would result in the foundation of many new missions all over the world.
After this arduous time, he went to live with a friend in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, though he frequently travelled up to Sallynoggin, near Dublin, to celebrate mass for the people in Irish. He then retired more permanently to Buncrana, though he often assisted in the locality as a supply priest. He was also blessed with an extensive archival memory and could recall dates, names and places with the greatest facility. Above all, he had a personal interest in many people.
During the last weeks of his life, Fr. Malachy had a fall, was operated on his femur, when bone cancer was discovered. He was discharged to palliative care. He died at Nazareth House, Fahan, Donegal in Ireland on 18 November 2022. He was 95 years old and had been a Salvatorian for 73 years. May he rest in Peace!
