Patrick Francis Sheehan (28 May 1932 – 8 November 2012) was the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

bishop of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Yola and later Kano,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Patrick Sheehan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland on May 28, 1932. His parents later moved to Tramore, County Waterford. When he entered the Novitiate of the Order of St Augustine at Orlagh, near Dublin he was given the name Francis. Patrick Francis Sheehan's priestly studies were in the Gregorian University in Rome. There he was ordained priest on February 25, 1956. He was posted to the Adamawa Mission assigned to the Irish Province of the Order of St Augustine by the Holy See. There he spent most of the rest of his life. Bishop Sheehan was ordained as Bishop of Yola on January 6, 1971. In his time as a priest of Yola, Bishop Sheehan established the Third

Order of St Augustine The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

in the diocese under the authority of the Prior General in Rome. He was instrumental in bringing the

Spiritans , image = Holy Ghost Fathers seal.png , size = 175px , caption = The seal of the Congregation depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Trinity. , abbreviation ...

, the

De La Salle Brothers french: Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes , image = Signum Fidei.jpg , image_size = 175px , caption = , abbreviation = FSC , nickname = Lasallians , named_after = , formation ...

, the

Sisters of the Infant Jesus The Sisters of the Infant Jesus, also known as the Dames of Saint Maur, are a religious institute of the Catholic Church originating from Paris, France and dedicated to teaching. History Origins In 1659 Barré, who was a respected scholar wi ...

, the Holy Rosary Sisters, the Mercy Sisters and the Daughters of Divine Love to the Diocese of Yola. He invited the

Discalced Carmelites The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...

of New Ross, Ireland, to establish a monastery in Yola. The first nuns arrived in 1993. They chose Zing and the monastery opened in 1995. On February 3, 1995, the Diocese of Jalingo was erected from the Diocese of Yola under the leadership of Bishop Sheehan. The De La Salle Brothers, the Holy Rosary Sisters and the Mercy Sisters have since left both jurisdictions. On July 5, 1996, Bishop Sheehan was then transferred to Kano which was then an Apostolic Vicariate, i.e. not yet a diocese. Kano subsequently became a diocese on June 22, 1999. He retired in 2008. By then Bishop Sheehan had already returned to Ireland because of ill-health. Bishop Patrick Francis Sheehan was found dead in his room in the Augustinian Priory of John's Lane, Dublin, on November 8, 2012. He was buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, Tramore, Co. Waterford

Notes

1932 births 2012 deaths Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria Roman Catholic bishops of Yola Roman Catholic bishops of Kano {{africa-RC-bishop-stub