The late Fr John Joe Curran The death took place, following a brief illness, of Fr John Joe Curran, Priests Recruitment Centre, Wichita, Kansas, USA, and formerly, Ardra. The eldest of a family of three boys and three girls he was born to Pat Curran and Rose Anne Kenny, Ardra on May 13th 1929. He received his primary and secondary education in Gortahose NS and Moyne Latin School respectively. He studied for the priesthood in St Peter's Wexford, was ordained on June 6th 1954, and took up his first appointment in St Patrick's Parish, Wichita later that year. During his forty-five years of fruitful ministry in various parishes, including St Andrew's Independence, St Patrick's, Parsons, St Joseph's, Yates Centre, Mary Queen of Angels, Fort Scott, St Mary's Chase, and St Anthony's Garden Plain he retired in 1999, but continued in pastoral duty in various parishes. He celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination June 2004. Despite a busy schedule in attending to his pastoral duties, he always found time for health-giving activities, and among his hobbies were fishing, golf, quail shooting, cycling and reading. He played with Drumreilly GAA team in the late forties, and had an abiding interest in the successes of the Club. He made many summer visits to his family, and was always heartened by progress in the community through the reconstruction of St Mary's Church, the building of the new school and Community Centre an the opening of the new GAA pitch in Carrickmakeegan, the advances in farming methods and the erection of new homes. He will be fondly remembered for his innate sincerity and humble disposition. He was a man of prayer, and we trust that his life-long devotion to Our Blessed Lady helped him to bear his cross with equanimity in the final weeks of his almost four score years of life. His remains were laid to rest following the funeral Mass in St Elizabeth's Church, concelebrated by his Bishop and fellow priests in Wichita Diocese. Coinciding with his burial, Mass for the repose of his soul was concelebrated in St Mary's Church, Drumlea by Fr Denis Murray, Fr Charles Heery, Fr Peter McPartland, Fr John Sexton, Fr John McMahon, Fr Michael Kelly, Fr Cathal Faughnan and Fr Cumiskey, Drogheda. Sympathy is extended to his sisters Molly Lee, Auighavas, Josephine Ward, New York, Rose Conefrey, Corrawallen, his nephews, nieces, brothers in law, sisters in law, cousins and other relatives. I leaba na Naomh go raibh a anam. Courtesy of the Longford Leader 27 April 2007 Tweet

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