News
Firies priest passes away in the Philippines

By Sean Moriarty
The international Redemptorist Community has announced the death of Fr. Hugh O’Donoghue in the Philippines. He died on December 11, at Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu City and was 85 years old.
Fr Hugh was ordained in Ireland on January 21, 1962. After a year of pastoral ministry, he was sent to the Philippines and faithfully lived his priestly life in Dumaguete, Iligan, Davao, and Cebu serving in various capacities as missioner, pastor, formator, and retreat director.
“For those who knew and worked with Hughie he was a very special person, a real character, his commitment to the Philippine mission and to the life of the Cebu Province over those 60 years was total and his contribution immense,” Fr. Dan Baragry The Irish Provincial told the Killarney Advertiser.
“He always related well with young Filipino confreres and was a real father figure to many. We extend our deepest sympathies to Hughie’s family and to all the members of the Cebu Province on their loss and extend our gratitude to confreres and staff in Cebu for their exceptional care of him in the final years of his life. May he Rest in Peace.”
Fr Hugh was predeceased by his brother Denis and is sadly missed by his sisters Eileen and Bernadette, nieces, nephews, relatives and his Redemptorist confreres in Ireland and the Philippines.
Among his Novitiate companions were: Dan Bray, Eamonn Breslin, Tom Devitt, Joe Mac Loughlin, John Casey, Nick Skehan, Bob McGoran, Noel Gartlan, Seamus Hatton and Paddy Harkin.