Rev John Blowick (1888–1972) was an Irish missionary priest and theologian. He was one of the founders of the Maynooth Mission to China which was later known as the Missionary Society of St. Columban.

Life

John Blowick was born 26 October 1888 in

Belcarra, County Mayo Belcarra () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland about south-east of the county town of Castlebar. There are a number of shops in the village, including one general store, two bars (one open, one currently for sale), a hardware store and a butc ...

, to John Blowick a farmer, and Honoria Blowick (née Madden). He was educated at Westport CBS, and St. Jarlath's College in

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

. He trained as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

St Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mou ...

gaining a first in his BA degree, following postgraduate studies he was appointed a professor of theology at Maynooth in June 1914 after a competitive concursus (he was the last Maynooth professor selected in that way). He co-founded the Maynooth Mission to China with Rev Edward Galvin. In 1918 he founded St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Shrule, County Galway, as the seminary for the Society, which in 1941 moved to Navan, Co. Meath. Two of Blowick's younger brothers became priests and a third Joseph Blowick entered the politics. Rev Stephen Blowick was Parish priest of Islandeady in Co. Mayo, Rev Peter Blowick served as Rector of St. Columbans College, and Joseph Blowick became TD for Mayo South, was a founder and leader of

Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan (, "Family/Children of the land"; formally known as the ''National Agricultural Party'') was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965. Formation and growth Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in ...

a small farmers’ party, serving as Minister of Lands in the inter-party governments of 1948-51 and 1954-57. He died on 19 June 1972 at Dalgan Park,

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town and largest town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Leinster Blackwater, Blackwater, around 50 km northwest of Dublin. At the ...

, and was buried at the Missionary Society of Saint Columban Cemetery, in Navan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blowick, John 1888 births 1972 deaths Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic theologians Missionary Society of St. Columban People educated at St Jarlath's College Christian clergy from County Mayo Roman Catholic missionaries in China