From Longford to Sacramento: Fr Michael's journey

Over 50 years ago two pupils, Fr Pat Lennon, parish priest of Legga, Moyne, and Fr Michael F Kiernan, parish priest of Sacramento, California, concluded their second level studies in Moyne Latin School.

Both originally from Ballinamuck they followed the same spiritual path, but while one diverged to the capital city of the US state of California to other took in the southern Africa nation of Zambia before administering to the spiritual needs of the parishioners of Legga.

The two priests celebrate their Golden Jubilee this month. Fr Kiernan's ordination was just ahead of his comrade's, and although their communities may be far apart they have a lot in common.

“I've spent my 50 years in Sacramento, California, 8,000 miles away,” Fr Michael F Kiernan told the Leader, “When you look at church and society and everything over the last 50 years it's amazing.

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“Who would ever have thought it would be like it is. To go through all of that has been very interesting, pros and cons, ups and downs, but thank God, all considered, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to do it again.”

Fr Michael took up his missionary role at a time of great social change. Leaving rural Ireland for Sacramento, named in honour of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, was an enormous leap for the new cleric: “It was very liberal, of course. California is a whole different experience anyway. In San Francisco there were the flower people and all of that sort of stuff. They're always ahead of the rest of the United States. They say things start in California and then go around the rest of the country. It was a very large place, the diocese is 49,000 square miles, which means it's a good bit larger than Ireland.”

The vastness presented challenges: “You'd be driving from one parish to another, maybe for six or seven hours. Different types of people. A lot of Hispanic people, Mexican people, so I had to learn a new language, but I took to it like a fish to water.”

“I just loved it from the day I settled in. The bigness of it and the changes of it. To tell the truth I was the type of person who was not all that happy with the ways things were done in Ireland. They seemed “old fashioned” to me. I was delighted to see new ideas and creative ways of living and so on.”

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Bridging the gap between the west coast of America and the Midlands of Ireland 50 years ago was a very different prospect to what it is today. Advances in communication technology and travel have shored up the distance. The young Fr Michael may have missed home, but took it in his stride: “I did miss home in a way, but I just took to things so quickly. One of the things that's wonderful is that as a priest, it's an easy life, in the sense that the community of people you have around you, they instantly come to you as family.”

That inclusion happened very quickly: “I always remember my first confession. These older people came in. I'm 28 years old and young, and they're telling you their life story and their issues and so on. You feel instantly at home.

“That's one of the great things about being a Catholic priest, even here. The warmth of the community, they make you feet that you are 'their guy'. They are supportive of almost anything you want to do. They will work together with you as a community. They invite you to dinner and to their homes,”

Not everything was easy starting out: “I was there 10 months when I got a call from my sister to say my mother had a stroke. I high-tailed it back here, thankfully she recovered. I came back every year. I have good connections here. Modern advancements, like Zoom, bring everyone even closer together.”

As a past pupil of Moyne Latin School Fr Michael's North Longford educational experience was formative in the life he chose: “I have great memories. I would say Father Phil McGee was one of the greatest people I ever met in my life. I still think of him as a person who in many ways helped me to be what I am. He gave us confidence and encouraged public speaking, sometimes in a subtle way by engaging us to talk about football or whatever. It was to get us to express ourselves. Also the school president, Monsignor James Faulknan, was a great inspiration.”

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Many memories were made on that educational journey: “We were all simple, young fellows, country boys. Looking back on life, where we've gone and what we've done I see some of these people have achieved high positions in society. I have great memories of Moyne.

“I was talking to my sister as she drove me over here, about the fact Fr Pat Lennon, now the parish priest in Legga, used to cycle all the way from Ballinamuck to here.

“It was up a lot of hills, at that time Longford (GAA) were doing really well, they won a Leinster final and a National League, and we would be leaning on the bars of our bicycle reading the papers as we made our way walking up the hill.

“Pat would come over to my house and we would kick a ball, just the two of us, over and back on the side of the road. Good memories.”

Fr Michael F Kiernan, parish priest of Sacramento, California will celebrate his Golden Jubilee this weekend.