ENGLISH CANADA PROVINCE
"I am the resurrection and the life"
May 2, 2011
Father Emmett J. McKenna, S.J.
Your prayers are requested for Father Emmett McKenna who died peacefully in the late afternoon of May 1, 2011 at Rene Goupil House, Pickering. He was in the 91st year of his life and a Jesuit for 69 years. Emmett was born on August 22,1920 in Montreal, Quebec. He is the son of Leo J. McKenna and Gertrude Eagan. He entered the Society at Guelph on July 30, 1942. After the study of philosophy at the Jesuit Seminary in Toronto he began regency in 1949 at St. Charles Garnier School in Spanish, Ontario.
Theology followed in 1952 at the seminary and he was ordained a priest on June 19, 1949 at Martyrs' Shrine, Midland. He did one year ofteaching at St. Mary's university before going in 1957 to Pomfret, Connecticut for tertianship. On his return to Canada Fr. McKenna began in 1958 to teach at Saint Mary's in Halifax. In 1960 he journeyed to Montreal as a teacher in Loyola High School. He spent one year, 1966, at Regiopolis High School in Kingston, then went west in 1967 to St. Paul's High School, Winnipeg. During his ten years there he was minister, teacher, assistant prefect of discipline, and for 3 years a principal. In 1976 he took a year in Darjeeling teaching at St. Joseph's School.
Emmett returned to Winnipeg in 1977, this time to St. John Brebeuf Parish, doing pastoral ministry. He also took on the task of treasurer at St. Paul's College. Manresa Retreat House in Pickering was his next posting beginning in 1982, helping out on the retreat team. During this time starting in 1984 he also served as assistant director of Martyrs' Shrine, Midland. In 1989 he moved into La Storta residence, still continuing his work on retreats and at the Shrine.
On New Year's Day in 1992, Fr. McKenna moved into the infirmary, not as a patient, but as its director, a position he held for 8 years. Then in 2000 he became the chaplain of the infirmary until ill health and weakness caused him to retire from that position in 2007. The last years of his life were borne patiently as dementia slowly took hold of his mind.
Would you please offer the usual suffrages of the Society (two Masses by the members of La Storta Community, one Mass by other members ofthe Province) for the repose of his soul.
|
Funeral Mass: Thursday, May 5th |
|
11 :00 am -Chapel at Manresa |
|
Retreat House, Pickering |
|
followed by a reception at |
|
Manresa |
