Fr. William Power, C.Ss.R., late of Redemptorists, Mount St. Alphonsus, South Circular Road, Limerick, originally of Pallasgrean, Co. Limerick, and fondly remembered for his ministry in India and Dundalk. Died peacefully, in the loving care of the sisters and staff at Carrigoran House, Co. Clare, 23rd October,  2013. Deeply regretted by his nieces and nephews, extended family, friends and his Redemptorist community and confreres.

Lying in repose in the Redemptorist Monastery, Limerick from 3pm, Thursday, 24th October. Removal to Mount St. Alphonsus Church at 6.30pm on Friday, 25th October, followed by Mass at 7.15pm. Requiem Mass at 12 Noon, Saturday, 26th October, followed by burial at the new Redemptorist plot at Castlemungret Cemetery, Co. Limerick.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help pray for him.

Fr. Willie was born in Pallasgrean, Co. Limerick on the 20th February 1922.  In 1936 he moved to Limerick city to continue his secondary studies at the Redemptorist  College, now St. Clement’s College.  Five years later in August 1941 he entered the Redemptorist novitiate in Dundalk.  Just over a year later he pronounced his vows as a Redemptorist on 8th September 1942.  From Dundalk he, along with his companions Sean Mullin, Sean Kelleher, Francis Mullaghy and Finbarr Connolly, travelled to the Redemptorist House of Studies, Cluain Mhuire, Galway where he began his formal theological training.

Four years into his course of studies he was one of five students sent to Bangalore,  India in 1946.  Eight years previously the Irish Redemptorists had begun a new overseas mission in the sub-continent and now, that World War II was over, circumstances permitted the setting up of a house of studies for the training of future Redemptorists.  This Irish quintet joined the first group of Indian and Singhalese students to form the new student community.

Three years later on 11th June 1949 Fr. Power was ordained a priest in Bangalore.  After his ordination he was engaged mostly in the preaching of missions and retreats in towns and parishes of India and Sri Lanka.  Between 1956-1962 he held the post of novice master.

On his return to Ireland in 1974 Fr. Willie was for a time a member of the Mount St. Alphonsus community. Then in 1978 he was appointed curate in our parish of St. Joseph, in Dundalk and here he endeared himself to the parishioners by his kind and pleasant manner.  On returning to Limerick in 1983 he became Director of the Holy Family Confraternity, a post he held for four years.  His next appointment was chaplain to Milford Care Home and later chaplain to the Brother Stephen Russell House (Alexian Brothers) and he continued in this role even into his eighties, besides taking part in the ministry of Mount St. Alphonsus Church.  In 1989 he stepped into the breach to take on the role of Rector at Mount St. Alphonsus, for the remainder of the triennium, following the sudden death of Fr. Jim McGrath.

Fr. Willie had been the senior member of the province by profession but he was three weeks younger than the oldest member of the province namely, Fr. Tony Mulvey who is now also the senior member of the province.

For the last number of years, due to ill health, he had been a resident in Carrigoran House, Co. Clare.  Here he died peacefully on the morning of 23rd October in the loving care of the sisters and staff of the Home and his confreres Fr. John Goode and Br. Seamus Campion.