Discalced Carmelites Nigeria

REV. FR. MICHAEL FITZGERALD OCD

Fr. Michael Fitzgerald was born in Bradford, Co. Limerick, Ireland on July 23, 1941. In 1959, he entered the Discalced Carmelite Order in Loughrea, Ireland and made his First Profession there on September 8, 1960. Following his Philosophical and Theological studies he was ordained on December 17, 1966. He later obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology at the Teresianum, Rome.

In 1973 he was asked to go to the Philippine Islands where he spent fifteen years. Soon after his arrival he was asked to take on roles of responsibility and was the first Regional Superior when the Philippines became an independent region under the authority of the Generalate House. In 1988, Fr. Michael was asked by the then Superior General of our Order (Fr. Philip Sainz de Baranda ocd) to help set up a Discalced Carmelite mission in Nigeria with Frs. Charles Newell ocd and Tom Curran ocd. Once again Fr Michael was asked to take on roles of responsibility: Prior, formator, vocations director and eventually Regional Delegate, a position which he eventually handed over in 2005 to the first Nigerian ever to attain such an administrative position in the Discalced Carmelite Order.

Besides his work with the expansion of the Discalced Carmelite Order he had a great concern for justice and worked especially to alleviate the condition of prisoners. He was instrumental in setting up CAPIO, the Carmelite organization that works for the just treatment of prisoners.

He also served as Episcopal Vicar for the Religious in the Catholic Diocese of Enugu and was instrumental in the spread of the Discalced Carmelite Order to Ekpoma, Nsukka and Ibadan. Having worked in Nigeria for more than 19 years, in 2007, Fr. Michael left Nigeria for his country Ireland to, in his own words, “re-evangelize them”. It was while he was doing this that death came calling – he was in the middle of a retreat which he was directing!

May he rest in our Lord’s bosom, amen!

On August 7, 2009 our Vicariate organized a month mind Eucharistic celebration in memory of Fr. Michael (who died on the 7th of July 2009)at Mt. Carmel (Priory) Prayer Centre Enugu. This was well attended and in attendance were Bishop Onaga of Enugu Diocese, and Bishop Gbuji (Bishop Emeritus of Enugu).