Born: 14 June 1667, Ireland
Entered: 15 January 1688, Bordeaux, France - Aquitaniae Province (AQUIT)
Died: 24 October 1693, Fontenay, France - Aquitaniae Province (AQUIT)

1688 Taught Grammar at Angoulême
1689-1693 Taught Grammar at La Rochelle AQUIT
First Vows at La Rochelle 16 January 1690

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
Probably had some studies done before Ent 15 January 1688 Bordeaux
1690 After First Vows sent to La Rochelle for Regency but then transferred to Fontenoy where he died 24 October 1693

Born: 25 December 1605, County Down
Entered: 04 October 1624, Tournai, Belgium - Belgicae Province (BELG)
Ordained: c 1630, Douai, France
Died: 20 April 1643, Dublin City, County Dublin

Alias Connell

“Henry McCawell or Cavellus, was son of Isabella Carrin or Currin”.
Studied Humanities at Louvain and Philosophy at Douai, teacher of Arts, able to teach Philosophy and Theology

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
Name in Latin “Cavellus”
Described as a most learned and zealous man; had been Professor of Philosophy; Imprisoned and flogged.
1642 Deported to France and returned to Ireland March 1643, and he died in Dublin a few days after return of hardship
Directly under “Henry” there are two further McCaughwells: Hugh and John, both apparently born in Down, and both of whom Entered 1624 in Belgium. (These are possible duplicate entries for Henry??)

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
Son of William and Isabelle née Carrin
He has previously studied Humanities under the Augustinians at Louvain and the Jesuits at Antwerp and graduated MA at Douai where he studied Philosophy under the Jesuits, before Entry 04 October 1624 at Tournai
1626-1630 After First Vows he was sent to complete his studies at Douai and was Ordained 1630 there
1631 He was sent to Ireland and to the Dublin Residence as Operarius. As an able Philosopher and Theologian, he ran classes in Philosophy and Theology for prospective seminarians, preparing them for Colleges in Europe.
1641 He was in the city when it was taken over by the Puritans 1641. Matthew O’Hartegan (in a letter of 05 August 1642 to the General) described McCavell’s fate “He was arrested, beaten with rods in the market place and put on board a ship bound for France with eighteen other priests. He was ill and half paralysed at the time. He found refuge at La Rochelle, but he was so determined that he was already planning a return to Ireland. He did take a ship the following Spring but died within a few days of his arrival in the city 20 April 1643.

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973
Father Henry Cavell SJ 1605-1643
In Dublin early in the year 1643 died Fr Henry Cavell, or Caughwell, a man of great learning and zeal for souls.

He taught Philosophy in the Dublin Residence, for we read that Fr Stephen Gellous studied philosophy for two and a half years under him. Though confined to bed, he was dragged by the Parliamentarians from the Dublin Residence in 1642. As he was unable to stand, he was placed in a chair, more for mockery than for ease, and subjected to brutal assaults of the soldiery. He was beaten with cudgels and thrown into the ship with nineteen other religious and priests and transported to La Rochelle, France.

In La Rochelle he was most charitably received by Fr Destraded and given a Brother to assist him. No sooner was he restored to some degree of health then urged by his burning zeal, he hastened back once more to the scene of his labours. On the passage back he encountered a storm which lasted 21 days. He was completely broken down by his sufferings and died in Dublin a few days after landing, a true martyr of charity and zeal.

◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
CAVELL, HENRY, is described as “Vir doctissimus et animarum zelo plenus”. He was apprehended in Dublin, dragged by soldiers from his sick bed though suffering from Palsy, severely scourged “virgis primum bene caesus” and then put on board a vessel with nineteen Religious and Priests, and landed at Rochelle. The Rector of the Jesuits College there paid him every charitable attention, and by great care and the best medical advice, gradually succeeded in restoring him to a state of convalescence. As soon as he could, the Rev. Father hastened to the scene of his former labors; but within a few days after his return, early in 1613, fell a victim to his zeal and charity. F. G. Dillon says in a letter of the 3rd of August, 1643, that he had encoun tered a storm on his passage back which lasted twenty-one days. “Sic verus Christi Confessor obiit”.

Born: 1627, Dublin City, County Dublin
Entered: 11 November 1647, Kilkenny
Ordained: c 1654, Bordeaux, France
Died: 26 February 1697, Dublin Residence, Dublin City, County Dublin

1650-1653 Studied Theology at Bordeaux (1651 Age 25 Soc 3 - had good talent and proficiency more than mediocre. Fit to teach Grammar and Philosophy, and above mediocre in Theology)
1653-1654 Studied Theology at Poitiers
1654-1655 Taught Grammar ad Philosophy at La Rochelle
1655 At Fontenoy teaching Grammar
1656-1660 At La Rochelle, now a priest, Age 31 teaching Grammar
1660-1661 At Angoulême
1661-1662 At Agen
1663 Teaching 2nd Class at Bordeaux
1665 At Tulles Age 36
1666-1667 At Fontenoy teaching Grammar
1667-1669 At Loudun Operarius
1670 Goes to Ireland or from 1669

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
1650 Sent for Theology to AQUIT

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
He had already completed his Philosophy studies before Ent 11 November 1647 Kilkenny
After First Vows was sent to Bordeaux for studies and was Ordained there c 1654
1655-1667 For the next twelve years he taught at various AQUIT Colleges and was an Operarius until he was sent to Ireland
1669 Sent to Ireland and Dublin, where he worked mostly outside the city until after the Oates Plot. He died at the Dublin Residence 27 February 1697 and was buried at the St. Catherine's churchyard

◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
PLUNKETT, THOMAS. Began his Noviceship at Kilkenny. After taking the simple Vows he was sent, as I find in F. John Young’s letter, dated Galway, April 20th, 1650, with Daniel Dowgan, or Dugan, to the Province of Aquitaine, to study Theology. From that time until the announcement of his death in Dublin, on 26th February, 1697, I can learn nothing of his Biography.

Born: 1616, County Limerick
Entered: 22 July 1640, Bordeaux, France (AQUIT) - Aquitainiae Province
Ordained: 1648, Galway
Died: 11 January 1681, La Rochelle, France - Aquitainiae Province

Alias de Stricke

1646 At La Rochelle teaching Grammar
1648 Went to Ireland with Frs Mercurian and Verdier (Fr Verdier returned before 1649, for in this and the following year he taught Theology at Bordeaux)
1651 AQUIT CAT On the Martinique Mission
1666 CAT Is living at Limerick where he revived the Sodailty of BVM. He teaches Humanities, is Preaching, Catechising and administering the Sacraments. Was on the Mission in the Indies 12 years. On Irish Mission 4 years.
1666 Thomas Stritch SJ teaches school
1670 Fr Stritche was in Ireland, Limerick or Ennis (Arch Ir Coll Rome I 85-87)

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
1648 At Bordeaux
1649 Came to Ireland with Mercure Verdier - Visitor to Irish Mission - and was Ordained by the Nuncio
Twelve years a Missioner in West Indies
1662-1666 In Limerick, Preaching, Catechising, administering the Sacraments and teaching Humanities. (HIB CAT 1666 - ARSI)
He had extraordinary adventures, which are told in Hogan’s “Irish Exiles in St Kitt’s”.

◆ Fr John MacErlean SJ :
1647 Teaching at La Rochelle and chosen to accompany Fr Mecure Verdure as Socius and interpreter for his Visitation of the Irish Mission
When the Irish Visitation was finished he returned to France for further studies and then volunteered for the West Indies Mission, where there were thousands of Irish exiles who needed spiritual support.
1650 Arrives in Martinique and went from there to Guadaloupe to work with the Irish, English and negro people
1662 Failing health necessitated return to Europe.
1663-1679 Came to Ireland and worked in Limerick, and then was banished to France at the time of the Titus Oates plot in 1679
1680 Arrived at La Rochelle in poor health and died the following year there

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
Had made Priestly studies and graduated MA probably at Bordeaux before Ent 1640 Bordeaux
After First Vows he was sent teaching in AQUIT Colleges for six years, and was then designated as a travelling companion for Mercure Verdier on the occasion of his Visitation of the Irish Mission 1648-1649.
After Verdier and Stritch’s arrival in Ireland, John was Ordained Priest by the Nuncio at Galway.
During the Visitation of the Mission he was interpreter for Father Verdier. At the end of the Visitation, he returned with Verdier to France and was assigned to the task of completing his theological studies at Bordeaux.
1650-1662 He had volunteered for the missions and arrived in Martinique in 1650. From there he travelled on to Guadelupe where he worked among the Irish, the English and the negroes until in 1662 failing health forced him to return to Europe
1663-1679 Came to Ireland and worked in Limerick, and then was banished to France at the time of the Titus Oates plot in 1679
1680 Arrived in poor health at La Rochelle and died there the following year 11 January 1681

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973
Father John Stritch SJ 1616-1681
Fr John Stritch was born in Limerick in 1616. He entered the Society at Bordeaux in 1640.

While teaching at La Rochelle in 1647 he was chosen to act as Socius and interpreter to Fr Mercure Verdier during his Visitation of the Irish Mission.

His studies completed he volunteered for the West Indies Mission. Arriving at St Kitt’s he was welcomed and bless by the Irish slaves there, heard the confessions of 3,000 of them and then passed on disguised as a timber merchant to Mount Serrat where great numbers of Irish were employed as woodcutters. He revealed his real character to the, and he spent the mornings administering the Sactraments, and the day in hewing wood to throw the dust in the eyes of the English. Meanwhile, the heretics, jealous of the religious consolations of the Catholics of St Kitts, transported 150 of them to Crab Island and left them to die of starvation. Fr Stritch got together as many of the Irish in St Kitts as he could, and he passed with them to the French island of Guadeloupe, where he lived a long time with them, now and then going in disguise to help the Irish on the other islands. He converted in his excursions about 80 Protestants a year.

Owing to ill health he retired to Ireland in 1662 and laboured in Limerick where he revived the Sodality of Our Lady.

In 1679 he was banished to France owing to the Titus Oates Plot and he died at La Rochelle in 1681.

◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
STRICH, JOHN,* quitted Bourdeaux with Pere Verdier, 2nd November, 1648: was obliged to wait at Rochelle for five weeks until a sea-worthy ship could be procured : sailed thence on the 5th of December, and after a rough and stormy voyage reached Galway, on the 28th of December, that year, when I lose sight of him.