Sean Lavery (1931–1999) was a

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priest for the

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("''The Columbans''") and a church music director. Lavery was born in

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. Shortly after his ordination in 1954, Father Lavery moved to the United States where he graduated from

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, with a degree in music. He transferred overseas and was appointed at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in

Ozamiz City Ozamiz, officially the City of Ozamiz (; ), is a component city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 140,334 people making it the most populous city in Misamis Occidental. Al ...

in the Philippines. He held many posts, such as leading the liturgical and musical development for the diocese. As part of this effort, he commissioned Father Herman Schablitzki S.V.D. in designing of a pipe organ in Germany. The organ was exported from Europe and installed in the cathedral. Assisted by one carpenter and one electrician, Father Schablitzki assembled the organ in six weeks, and was completed on May 31, 1967. The pipe organ was then inaugurated on July 16, 1967. It is one of the few pipe organs in the Philippines. Though hardly intended at the time, this pipe organ has now become one of the singular tourist attractions for Ozamiz City and the Archdiocese of Ozamis. Fr. Lavery left the Philippines in 1977 to study for his doctorate in sacred music in Rome. In 1980, he was transferred to Ireland where he assumed the post of Director of Sacred Music at

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 ...

. A prolific composer, Father Lavery was passionate about

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and influenced many future musicians, including Father

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, a popular singer/priest in Ireland He was a member of the Irish Church Music Association and was, from the spring of 1984 to the winter of 1987, editor of ''Jubilius'', a Maynooth publication. He resigned his position to do parish work in Jamaica in 1987, where he rebuilt his church after it was destroyed by

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. Father Lavery died in 1999. He was buried at the Columban Father House in

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on 29 March 1999.http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/pageacc.asp&path_info=/pageacc.asp&tser1=ser&par=ben&sid=401992 A church hall in Jamaica whose construction was partly financed by Lurgan people was opened in 2001, it was named "The Father Sean Lavery Faith Hall" in his memory at Savanna -La-Mar.

References

External links

* Bernad, Miguel S.J. “How An Entire City Built An Organ”, History Against the Landscape. Manila: Solidaridad Publishing House, 1968. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lavery, Sean 1931 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Filipino Roman Catholic priests Filipino musicians People from Lurgan Manhattanville University alumni Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Christian clergy from County Armagh Missionary Society of St. Columban