Thomas McGettrick SPS, was an Irish born missionary priest, who served as a Bishop in Nigeria. McGettrick was born on 22 December 1905 at Killavil, Emlegh (Ballymote), Co. Sligo. He was educated at

St Nathy's College St Nathy’s College is a secondary school based in Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon. It is the diocesan college for the Diocese of Achonry. It is one of the oldest secondary schools in Ireland, having been founded in 1810. The School was located from ...

in Ballaghaderreen, the diocesan college for the diocese of Achonry, he did his philosophical and theological studies at

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland ...

and was ordained in Maynooth on 22 June 1930 ordained a priest for Achonry diocese. He was a founding member of the

Saint Patrick's Society for the Foreign Missions St. Patrick's Society for the Foreign Missions (Latin ''Societas Sancti Patritii pro Missionibus ad Exteros''; also known as the Kiltegan Fathers) is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men composed of missionary priests ...

, (Kiltegan Fathers), which he entered in 1932, in response to appeals for priests for the missions. Fr. McGettrick volunteered for mission and was sent to Nigeria as, replacing Fr.

Patrick Whitney Monsignor Patrick Joseph Whitney (1894 - 1942), was an Irish priest who in 1932 founded the Saint Patrick’s Society for the Foreign Missions known as the Kiltegan Fathers. Whitney was born in Ballyfermoyle, between Keadue and Lough Key in Co. R ...

(the societies founder) as Prefect Apostolic of Ogoja in 1939. He was appointed Bishop of Ogoja, Nigeria in 1955 serving until 1973 when the diocese was split and he was appointed the first Bishop of Abakaliki serving until 1983.About us
Diocese of Abakaliki, Nigeria.

References

1905 births 1988 deaths 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Irish expatriate Catholic bishops 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria Christian clergy from County Sligo Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Roman Catholic bishops of Ogoja Roman Catholic bishops of Abakaliki People educated at St Nathy's College {{Ireland-RC-bishop-stub