The school has a good record of pupils entering the Church as nuns, but it has only one priest among its past pupils. In the pre-Lack School era, two members of the O’Dea family from Crahera studied for the priesthood. Michael died prior to ordination on Christmas Eve, 1873, while Patrick was ordained a priest and served the Church in Adelaide, New Zealand. He is credited with the planting of the fuchsia which lines the public road through Crahera − a beautiful sight throughout the summer to this day. He died on Christmas Eve also, in 1942. Both were buried at Kilchreest Cemetery.

Priests

Fr. Patrick A. Kelly, Tonlegee

Fr Patrick A. Kelly, Tonlegee registered at Lack School in 1949. On completing his primary education, he went to St Joseph’s College, Freshford, County Kilkenny, where he sat the Leaving Certificate. He obtained a degree (BA Phil.) in UCD. He was ordained a priest at Lissycasey Church on 5 July 1970.

Following his ordination, he obtained a H Dip. from UCD. He went to Kenya in 1971 and worked in the Parish of Kisoko for a year. He was on the staff of St Augustine’s School, Amukura in the period 1972 to 1975 and was rector of the diocesan Junior Seminary Senior Section (forms 5 and 6) in Tindinyo from 1975 to 1980. He was a member of the staff of St Joseph’s College, Freshford, his former secondary school, in the period 1880 to 1984, when he returned to Kenya.

He worked for over 20 years as a missionary in Kenya, where he achieved the position of vicar general of the Diocese of Kakamega from 1992 until his death in 2003.

In Kenya, he established new parishes at Lutaso and Lusumu in Kakamega, where he built new churches. He was also passionate about the social needs of the people. He was involved in the installation of pumps to provide the communities with drinking water. He built a health centre to be run by the local Sisters of Mercy and was involved in the provision of a technical school for teaching basic skills to the youth. He had just completed the building of an orphanage, which is run by sisters from South America, at the time of his death.

He was known as ‘Millimoi’ which means ‘the miracle worker’. This nickname sums up his life and achievements in the missions.

Sisters

Sister Marie O’Dea, Lisnafaha

A total of 12 past pupils are listed as serving the Church as nuns. All but three serve(d) in England. The three that serve(d) in Ireland are the late Sr Bridget McNamara, Sr. Margaret Clancy and Sr. Dympna Clancy. These sisters have held various positions, including in the teaching, nursing, social and probation services.

The following is a list of the past pupils from Lack School who serve the Church as Sisters: