Deep sadness at passing of Br. Stephen Deignan
There was a deep sense of sadness throughout the District and beyond on Sunday January 22nd when it was announced the Br. Stephen Deignan had passed away.
Br. Stephen, former Visitor of the Province of Ireland, was help in the highest esteem by those he encountered as a colleague, principal and administrator. His presence will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.
At his funeral Mass in Castletown, Br Visitor Ben Hanlon, delivered the following eulogy.
Br Stephen Deignan
1937 – 2023
John Deignan was born on March 6th 1937 at Doongeela, Geevaagh, Co Sligo. John was one of five siblings: Tommy, Gerry, Mary, John and Bertie. We offer all members of the Deignan family our deepest sympathies.
John went to the Juniorate in Mallow on the 7th of September 1949, where he remained for two years.
He received the habit of the Brothers on Sept 7th 1953 and was given the name Brother Stephen. He made perpetual profession on August 6th 1962. After a few years studying in Dublin, Stephen went north to study in St Joseph’s Training College in Belfast. After a short period in St Finian’s he was headhunted for the new La Salle Secondary School in Andersonstown, Belfast, by its’ shrewd Principal Br Cornelius Creagh. After just four years Stephen was assigned to Downpatrick as Community Director and also as Principal of St Patrick’s Grammar School.
He did a partial sabbatical in Sangre de Cristo Centre – a Brothers’ renewal centre in Santa Fe. On his return to Ireland he went to Faithlegg in Waterford to look after the scholastics. From there he went to Kilmacud as director of Novices in 1979. In 1988 he spent a year studying at Duquesne University in the US. on his return Stephen was assigned to DLS College, taking on the role of Principal in 1992. In 1996 he was appointed Auxiliary Visitor (Assistant Provincial) and this was followed by eight years as Visitor/Provincial of the Irish De La Salle Province. His final posting was Castletown Monastery where he was Director until two years ago.
What then were the qualities which made Stephen such an attractive ad loveable person and such a wonderful Brother?
· Well to begin with Stephen was natural leader. He demonstrated this ability time and again over the years. He was only 33 years of age when he took on the Principalship of St Patrick’s Grammar School Downpatrick. St Patrick’s had an excellent reputation and during his seven years as principal it continued to develop and expand. When Stephen took over at De La Salle College, in 1992 he brought the same qualities of leading by example, of building relationships with staff and students based on trust and mutual respect, to his work in Waterford. And if proof were needed we saw this last evening in the number of former colleagues who came to pay their respects, teachers he had employed over 25 years ago. Friends who still remember him with admiration and affection.
When Stephen joined the Irish District Leadership Team as Auxiliary Visitor and later as Visitor/Provincial, a service he gave for twelve years, he displayed the same leadership qualities. He exuded confidence, enthusiasm. energy and attention to detail for every task he undertook. In the first decade of the new millennium Stephen, with a couple of other courageous Congregational leaders in Ireland decided to set up a Schools Trust for those orders who could not afford to fund their own Trust. This daring collaboration led to the formation of the Le Chéile Trust and what a success story that has been. Stephen was immensely proud of Le Chéile. Again, around the same time he was busy encouraging and supporting the formation of the new English speaking Province of Lwanga in Africa, a project he supported by giving it time and financial assistance.
· I suppose we could be forgiven for thinking that everything just happened for Stephen; that he was gifted and things fell into place at the right time. However, that would be to miss the core aspect of his success; namely hard work. Hard work came naturally to Stephen. His great speeches and lectures didn’t just happen. He put endless hours into crafting exactly what he wanted to say and like all great people he made it look and sound easy. Those of us who lived with Stephen knew that nothing was left to chance. Every detail was considered and weighed. For example on occasion he might run his hand along the top of a cabinet to the horror of the lady who did the cleaning. He would put on a face of mock horror before breaking into a fit of laughter. But the point was gently made that cleanliness was next to godliness and it was always good to know that he was ready to roll up his sleeves and do the cleaning himself. Here in Castletown with the support and encouragement of his wonderful team of ladies he built up a host of very loyal followers and clients: dancers, mindfulness groups, Meitheal teams, Retreat groups especially from Sisters Orders and many, many more. Standards of accommodation, meals and especially the warmth of the welcome were all second to none. And signs on because those groups have all returned having been away from here for three years due to COVID. There are 15 pages of messages of condolences on RIP.ie for Stephen and many of these are from individuals and groups he had welcomed to Castletown. One person said to me at the wake last night: ‘We only come to Castletown. It’s our home.’
· Stephen has a great capacity for positive and genuine relationships. Everywhere he lived and worked, whether in De La Salle College Waterford, The Howth Road or here in Castletown, the story always seems to be the same: Stephen had time for people, he showed he cared deeply for them and that he valued them. Thanks was his middle name. GK Chesterton, the poet and author once said: ‘I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled with wonder.’ This was definitely Stephen’s mantra. For example, Agnes Guerin, now Principal of CBS Dungarvan and a former teacher at DLS Waterford, said that Stephen was the first Principal in DLS to acknowledge the special contribution of the RE Staff to the College by taking them out for a meal at the end of the year. Margaret McCann a music teacher in the same school remembers how when her choir were competing in the All-Ireland final in the NCH, Stephen sent her a card and a gift at the interval. My own experience occurred at our District Assembly dinner held here in Castletown in 2019. At the end of a sumptuous meal Stephen came to me very agitated and told he was very annoyed that Linda, Margaret and the ladies had been forgotten. He said ‘If this was any other group using the centre they would recognise the ladies by giving them a token of appreciation after the meal.’ I explained I wasn’t aware of that and that I had no money but he just went away and came back in a few minutes with a number of envelopes to be presented to the ladies. That was Stephen – not only did he feel appreciation but he showed it too! This powerful message came from Br Danny Carlin in Addis Ababa yesterday: ‘Yes, he was a giant in the District, but for me he was my Novice Director and over the years had become a very dear friend and confidante: someone who really understood me. I have an overwhelming sense of loss.’
· Stephen was a wonderful orator and a gifted wordsmith. I’m sure he will be listening very carefully to this talk!! He himself delivered superb eulogies on so many brothers and they were always worth listening to. In addition to speaking, he was also a prolific writer. In speaking last evening to his niece Aine, who told me that Stephen had sent each of his four grandnieces a letter, congratulating them on how they had coped with COVID, encouraging them to study. Br Gabriel wrote: ‘For a number of years Stephen always sent a long newsy communication around Christmas time to the Irish Brothers outside of Ireland.’ A retired science teacher from DLS Waterford sent me a letter over the weekend. It was written by Stephen to Principals and teachers in all DLS Schools in Ireland on April 28th 2001. Paula has kept the letter all these years because it demonstrates powerfully, his admiration and care for teachers especially Lasallian teachers. The letter written after a strike or potential strike is brave, bold and full of gratitude: ‘When I try to calculate the professionalism, the generosity, the dedication, the voluntarism and the genuine decency of all our teachers, I see what I have been reading and watching in the past weeks as a major travesty.’ (Letter to Principals on 28/04/2002)
· I think it was Brother Pat Tierney in Hong Kong who said Stephen had a ‘wicked sense of humour’ and this story illustrates that. On the first day back after the holidays Stephen met one of the young lady teachers in the staffroom and said to her; Eileen , I’m shocked!’ ‘For what reason Brother’, she asked? ‘Well I expected there would be lots of cakes made by the lady teachers on the staffroom table when we got back from the holidays today!’ Eileen gave him his answer! He was on the receiving end on another occasion. It was April 1st and Noirin Hanratty, left a note in Stephen’s office. At the time he was involved in discussions with the Department of Education about his pension. The note read; ‘Please phone Mr. Lyon in the Dept about pension.’ Stephen phoned the number and asked for Mr. Lyon only to be told he was on to the Dublin Zoo!! Recently when Noirin came to visit him here in Miguel House Stephen had the picture of a Lion on his desk when she came into his room.
· Many Brothers referred to Stephen as a genial and welcoming host. A person who put them at their ease and ensured they wanted for nothing. Another Brother says: – ‘Brothers, especially those returning to Ireland for a holiday always received a warm welcome in the Howth Road.’
· If I try to sum up Stephen, I think of the obedient Brother who undertook every assignment he was asked to do with energy and enthusiasm. No complaints – he just got on with it and in every case regardless of the nature of the task he made a wonderful success of it. But there were three key ingredients for me that saw him through: His humility. His talents he received from God and he gave them away freely and joyfully. It was never about Stephen. He focused on the task in hand. Secondly, Stephen was a totally committed Lasallian. He not only had a deep knowledge of the Founder but he also had a profound belief that De La Salle’s message was one for the ages and as relevant today as it was in 1720. And finally, what enabled him to do this so easily and freely we might ask? No doubt it was his very deep and unquestioning faith that God was looking after him and loving him in all his endeavors. It was God that he saw in everything and especially in all those he came in contact with – his students, parents, teachers, staff, colleagues and confreres. He moved very freely and lightly and whether it was health or money or any other consideration, they only had relevance when looked at through the lens of faith. God would always provide.
I would love to quote from the many messages we have received from all parts of the District and the Institute, from Br Carlos Gomez Vicar General, Br Alfonso, Secretary General, Br Aidan Kilty former General Councillor, Br. Bob Schieler, Superior General Emeritus or indeed from the fifteen pages of tributes paid to Stephen on RIP.ie. Sadly time does not permit. But perhaps someone will decide to write his life and what it wonderful volume it will be?
I finish with the words often used by Stephen in his excellent eulogies and rarely have such apt words been spoken:
‘Another great cedar of Lebanon has fallen.’
May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace. Amen.
St John Baptist De La Salle: Pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts forever.