Francis O'Leary
Encyclopedia
Francis Aloysius O'Leary MBE
(1931–2000) was a Roman Catholic priest and missionary who founded the St Joseph's Hospice Association, an international network of hospices known as Jospice. O'Leary was awarded the membership in Order of the British Empire
in 1996.
, Liverpool
, England
, the youngest of three children. At the age of 11, O'Leary entered the seminary of Mill Hill Fathers at Freshfield. He later attended seminaries at Burn Hall, County Durham
, and St Joseph's College in Roosendaal, Netherlands
. O'Leary was ordained on 8 July 1956. After earning a post-graduate degree from Glasgow University in 1960, he was posted to Pakistan.
O'Leary was assigned as a missionary in Rawalpindi
, Pakistan
. In 1962, while attending to a sick woman in an empty mud hut, O'Leary realized the need for a hospice care facility. In 1964, he opened the first hospice in Rawalpindi
. After receiving advice from Mother Teresa
, O'Leary obtained loans and donations to establish more facilities. O'Leary established several hospices in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. He also founded three facilities in England.
In 1973, O'Leary was the subject of the British television program This Is Your Life
. He was awarded the 1974 Daniel Carrion Medal for his medical work in Peru. In 1996, O'Leary was awarded an MBE membership.
O'Leary died at age 69 on October 4, 2000.
The leader of England's Roman Catholics, Archbishop Vincent Nichols was a cousin of Father O'Leary, and is current president of the Jospice organisation.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(1931–2000) was a Roman Catholic priest and missionary who founded the St Joseph's Hospice Association, an international network of hospices known as Jospice. O'Leary was awarded the membership in Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1996.
Life
Francis Aloysius O'Leary was born June 18 1931 in CrosbyCrosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the youngest of three children. At the age of 11, O'Leary entered the seminary of Mill Hill Fathers at Freshfield. He later attended seminaries at Burn Hall, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, and St Joseph's College in Roosendaal, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. O'Leary was ordained on 8 July 1956. After earning a post-graduate degree from Glasgow University in 1960, he was posted to Pakistan.
O'Leary was assigned as a missionary in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. In 1962, while attending to a sick woman in an empty mud hut, O'Leary realized the need for a hospice care facility. In 1964, he opened the first hospice in Rawalpindi
St Joseph’s Hospice, Rawalpindi
St Joseph’s Hospice, Rawalpindi, is a health care facility run by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, open to patients from all walks of life.-Founder:...
. After receiving advice from Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, O'Leary obtained loans and donations to establish more facilities. O'Leary established several hospices in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. He also founded three facilities in England.
In 1973, O'Leary was the subject of the British television program This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
. He was awarded the 1974 Daniel Carrion Medal for his medical work in Peru. In 1996, O'Leary was awarded an MBE membership.
O'Leary died at age 69 on October 4, 2000.
The leader of England's Roman Catholics, Archbishop Vincent Nichols was a cousin of Father O'Leary, and is current president of the Jospice organisation.
External links
- Jospice website