William Mackey (priest)
Encyclopedia
Father William Joseph Mackey S.J.
(1915 in Montreal
, Canada
- October 18, 1995 in Thimphu
, Bhutan
) was a Canadian
Jesuit priest
who was responsible for establishing the modern education
system in Bhutan
, including its first high school
(which is now its first accredited university
, Sherubtse College
).
in Darjeeling district
of India
. He served there for 17 years, during which time he participated in many education programs and was headmaster of two high schools. However, he also became unpopular with local authorities http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Jesuit+and+the+dragon:+the+life+of+Father+William+Mackey+in+the...-a030534615, and in 1963 he was ordered to leave the country.
When the King of Bhutan
, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
, learned of Mackey's imminent expulsion from India, he invited Mackey to become an educator in Bhutan, as part of that country's ongoing modernization efforts. Mackey accepted the invitation. As a preemptive measure, he had all his teeth removed, because he would have no access to modern dentistry
in Bhutan.http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/admin/pubFiles/10-Spdr&Pglt.pdf
order
allowed in the officially-Buddhist nation. During the three decades that followed, Mackey performed no conversions
of Bhutanese citizens, as that was forbidden under Bhutanese law.
His first school, in Tashigang, was based in an abandoned cowshed and had 7 students.http://www.bhutanmajestictravel.com/news/2007/the-12th-death-anniversary-of-father-william-mackey.html
In 1973, Mackey was awarded the royal Druk Thuksey
medal for his services to education in Bhutan. In 1985, he was granted honorary Bhutanese citizenship, and in 1988, when the Jesuit order was expelled from Bhutan, he was allowed to remain.
After his death in 1995, his obituary on Bhutanese national radio lasted 15 minutes. Despite his express wishes to be buried in Bhutan, the Darjeeling Jesuits claimed his body for burial in their own cemetery.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(1915 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 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...
- October 18, 1995 in Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
, Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
) was a Canadian
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...
Jesuit priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who was responsible for establishing the modern education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
system in Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, including its first high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(which is now its first accredited university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, Sherubtse College
Sherubtse College
Sherubtse College was the first accredited college in Bhutan, founded in 1966. As of 2003 it became part of the newly created Royal University of Bhutan system that comprises all public post-secondary schools in Bhutan....
).
Early life
Mackey joined the Jesuits in 1932, and was ordained in 1945. In 1946, he left Canada for the Jesuit missionMission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in Darjeeling district
Darjeeling district
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He served there for 17 years, during which time he participated in many education programs and was headmaster of two high schools. However, he also became unpopular with local authorities http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Jesuit+and+the+dragon:+the+life+of+Father+William+Mackey+in+the...-a030534615, and in 1963 he was ordered to leave the country.
When the King of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was the Third Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan.He began to open Bhutan to the outside world, began modernization, and took the first steps toward democratization...
, learned of Mackey's imminent expulsion from India, he invited Mackey to become an educator in Bhutan, as part of that country's ongoing modernization efforts. Mackey accepted the invitation. As a preemptive measure, he had all his teeth removed, because he would have no access to modern dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
in Bhutan.http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/admin/pubFiles/10-Spdr&Pglt.pdf
Life in Bhutan
When Mackey arrived in Bhutan in October 1963, the Jesuits became the first Roman Catholic missionaryMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
allowed in the officially-Buddhist nation. During the three decades that followed, Mackey performed no conversions
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
of Bhutanese citizens, as that was forbidden under Bhutanese law.
His first school, in Tashigang, was based in an abandoned cowshed and had 7 students.http://www.bhutanmajestictravel.com/news/2007/the-12th-death-anniversary-of-father-william-mackey.html
In 1973, Mackey was awarded the royal Druk Thuksey
Druk Thuksey
The Druk Thuksey, also transliterated as Druk Thugsey is a medal awarded by the King of Bhutan; it represents the highest civilian honor available....
medal for his services to education in Bhutan. In 1985, he was granted honorary Bhutanese citizenship, and in 1988, when the Jesuit order was expelled from Bhutan, he was allowed to remain.
After his death in 1995, his obituary on Bhutanese national radio lasted 15 minutes. Despite his express wishes to be buried in Bhutan, the Darjeeling Jesuits claimed his body for burial in their own cemetery.
Other reading
- The Jesuit and the Dragon: The Life of Father William Mackey in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan; Howard Solverson, 1995
External links
- Documentary on Father Mackey on The CurrentThe Current (radio program)The Current is a Canadian current affairs radio program, hosted by investigative reporter Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC Radio One. It airs weekdays starting at 8:37 a.m. local time and runs until 10 a.m. for most of the year, although during the summer the program airs until 9:30 a.m...
(requires Real Audio) - "How It All Began", a brief history of the early days of the Bhutanese education system, including recollections from Father Mackey (requires Acrobat Reader)