Columban Father Patrick Creaton RIP

Fr Patrick Creaton 1922- 2011

Patrick Creaton was born on 9 March 1922 in the parish of Loughlynn, County Roscommon, Ireland.  He was educated in the National School there and in Summerhill College before joining the Columbans in 1940 when they were still based in Shrule, County Galway. He was ordained in St Columban's, Dalgan Park Navan, (photo above) on 21 December 1946 and was in one of the last groups appointed to China at that stage.

He arrived into a China in turmoil and began language studies in Nanzen. By 1950 he was appointed pastor of Dzan-Shin but could not get there because of Communist occupation.  He was expelled in 1951, appointed to Japan and was back in language school again in Tokyo in 1952.

In 1955 he became pastor of Hondo on Amakusa island where the original Catholic communities had been wiped out during the time of the Shimabara rebellion in the 16th century. Using his musical talents he built up many choirs and even supported the civil authorities in their efforts to use the grim Christian history as a tourist attraction.

Father Pat became the first pastor of Koya in Wakayama in 1966 when there were just 120 Catholics, most of whom were from Kyshu and had moved into the area to work in the Sumitomo steel mills. By 1980 the pollution caused by the mill led to a reduction of the workforce which affected both the town and the parish.

Tanabata Festival in Hiratsuka

Father Pat took over as pastor in Hiratsuka in 1980, the place where Fr John Burke, the tallest Columban in Japan, had tried to live in the smallest presbytery the Columbans ever built. The town of 300,000 people draws nearly 5 million visitors during the week of the Tanabata festival which begins on the 7^thday of the 7^th month.  Everywhere he went he left a legacy of music and song and used it to break down barriers of culture and faith.

In 1984 Father Pat did a Clinical Pastoral Education course for chaplains in Dublin and took up pastoral work in Elphin diocese. He worked in Kilmurry, Castlerea, County Roscommon until he had to retire to Dalgan in 1996. He struggled for many years with diabetes and always claimed that he was on a diet or about to go on one. Even in his illness he never lost his love of a song. Confined to hospital for Christmas recently he got whole ward joining in a sing-song to celebrate the feast.

Father Pat died in the Nursing Home in Dalgan on 19 July 2011. May he rest in peace.

Thanks to Columban Lay Missionary Marife Padao for photo of Dalgan Park.