Thomas P. Hughes, S.M.A. was an Irish born Catholic prelate and member of the Society of African Missions who served as the Bishop of Ondo in Nigeria.

Biography

Born in

Hollymount Hollymount () is a village on the R331 regional road in County Mayo, Ireland. It lies midway between the towns of Ballinrobe and Claremorris in the plains of south Mayo. It has a post office, a mini-mart, a community centre (Cois Abhainn), a ...

, County Mayo, Ireland on 1 February 1891, son of shopkeeper Peter Hughes and Mary Cawny, Thomas studied at Ballinrobe C.B.S., after school he became a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary. During the Irish War of Independence, Constable Hughes was involved in

Listowel mutiny The Listowel mutiny occurred during the Irish War of Independence when Royal Irish Constabulary officers under the command of County Inspector O'Shea refused to be relocated out of their rural police station in Listowel, County Kerry and moved ...

, when he refused orders to kill suspects who refused to surrender, which ended his position in the RIC and after this he decided to become a priest. Thomas was described in a later witness statement as 'a gentle and brilliant six foot athlete'. He studied Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, then studying philosophy at Kilcolgan, Co Galway and joined the Society of African Missions, studying for three years at St. Joseph's theological seminary, Blackrock Road, Cork, before completed his theological formation at

Dromantine House Dromantine House was a seminary of the Society of African Missions from 1926 until 1972. The estate is still owned by the Society of African Missions but currently serves as a "Retreat and Conference Centre" Over its lifetime as a seminary some 60 ...

, Co Down, when the seminary moved in September 1926. Thomas was ordained a priest in June 1927, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry by Bishop Mulhern. He joined the staff of

St Gregory's College, Lagos St. Gregory's College, Lagos, is a catholic missionary school for boys, with boarding facilities, located 1.0 km from Tafawa Balewa Square in the vicinity of Ikoyi – Obalende, Lagos State, Nigeria. History The college, originally a coed ca ...

, Nigeria, and went on to serve as a in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna in Northern Nigeria. The Prefecture of Northern Nigeria into two in 1934, one part being the Prefecture of Kaduna under Monsignor Thomas Hughes (and the other Prefecture of Jos under Monsignor William Lumley). In 1943 Fr Hughes became Vicar Apostolic of Ondo-Ilorin, and when Ondo became a Bishopric in 1950 he became the first Bishop of Ondo. Bishop Hughes brother, Patrick(Paddy) was also a missionary for the Society of African Missions,Obituary - Rev. Patrick Hughes SMA
Connacht Tribune, Saturday, 17 October 1964. and their Sister became a nun, their niece Sr. Thomasina Hughes OLA also became a nun. Suffering from heart problems, he resigned as Bishop, Hughes died in Cork in 1957, and is buried in St. Joseph's Wilton Cemetery, Co. Cork.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Thomas 1891 births 1957 deaths Roman Catholic missionaries in Nigeria 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria Christian clergy from County Mayo Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops Roman Catholic bishops of Ondo Society of African Missions People from Hollymount Burials at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Wilton, Cork