Cornelius Colbert Woulfe C.S.Sp.

Fr. Cornelius “Con” Colbert Woulfe, C.S.Sp., former chaplain at Kingston Hospital, died Wednesday, All Saints Day, November 1, 2006 at Kimmage Manor, Ireland. Fr. Woulfe was named for his uncle, Cornelius Colbert, who was one of the leaders of the Easter Week Uprising in Ireland in 1916, for which he was executed. A native of Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, he was educated at the National Schoole of Abbeyfeale and Rockwell College in County Tipperary. He was a graduate of the National University of Ireland and the Holy Ghost Missionary College in Dublin. He was ordained a priest of the Holy Ghost Fathers on July 16, 1944. On completion of his studies in 1945, he was assigned to Nigeria. He taught in the College of the Immaculate Conception in 1946, then served as education secretary for the Archdiocese of Onitsha from 1947 to 1970. During the Biafran Civil War, he worked in that area and because of this work, he was expelled from Nigeria in 1970 along with 70 other priests and religious. He came to the United States in 1971 as the Superior of the Irish Holy Ghost Fathers in the U.S. For 25 years, he resided at St. Mary’s Church and served as chaplain at Kingston Hospital. In 1990, he served as co-Grand Marshal of the Kingston St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He served for many years as chaplain of the Division One, Ulster County Ancient Order of Hibernians which was named in his honor. A memorial Mass will be celebrated Monday evening, 7:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church in Kingston.