Fintan Kilbride
Encyclopedia
Fintan Kilbride was a Catholic priest and teacher committed to the poor.
, County Wicklow
, Ireland
. He grew up in Clonmel
, County Tipperary
. He was the son of Bernard Joseph Kilbride and Anne Ledwith Kilbride and the brother of Brian, Nuala, Dympna, Aidan, Louise, Kevin, and Malachy. He is also the uncle of Malachy Kilbride
the peace activist. He joined the Holy Ghost Fathers
and served as a missionary in Nigeria, where he taught in high schools, helped build a hospital and three schools, and founded a teacher’s college in Nigeria
. He was expelled from Biafra
in 1970.
, Canada
. He taught English at Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
from 1975 to 1992. He was active in social justice causes, co-founding the Ecumenical Good Friday Walk in 1979, and created Students Crossing Borders in 1991, a program that introduced youth to the realities of living and working in less developed countries, and to the responsibilities that privilege brings. He served on the board of directors of Free The Children
.
Early life and missionary work
Fintan was born in BrayBray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He grew up in Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. He was the son of Bernard Joseph Kilbride and Anne Ledwith Kilbride and the brother of Brian, Nuala, Dympna, Aidan, Louise, Kevin, and Malachy. He is also the uncle of Malachy Kilbride
Malachy Kilbride
Malachy Kilbride is an Irish-American Social Justice and Peace Activist who primarily works with Washington Peace Center in Washington DC where he also serves as a member of the board. He was born in New York City and spent part of his childhood in Dublin, Ireland...
the peace activist. He joined the Holy Ghost Fathers
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
and served as a missionary in Nigeria, where he taught in high schools, helped build a hospital and three schools, and founded a teacher’s college in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He was expelled from Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
in 1970.
Marriage and children
He married Kenise Murphy Kilbride in 1973. The couple had two children, Siobhan Kilbride and Ciara Kilbride Amaral.Career
After Nigeria, Kilbride settled in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He taught English at Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Neil McNeil is one of 31 high schools run by the TCDSB and one of four all-boys schools, and currently has an enrollment of 811...
from 1975 to 1992. He was active in social justice causes, co-founding the Ecumenical Good Friday Walk in 1979, and created Students Crossing Borders in 1991, a program that introduced youth to the realities of living and working in less developed countries, and to the responsibilities that privilege brings. He served on the board of directors of Free The Children
Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
.
Death and afterward
Peacefully with his wife Kenise Murphy Kilbride, Fintan died December 21, 2006.Awards
- 2005: Marion Tyrrell Award of Merit, Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association
- 2005: Lewis Perinbam Award, World University Service of Canada