Louis Eustace, son of Patrick and Brigid
(McNally) Eustace was born Nov. 5, 1935 in the town of Longford,
Ireland. He was the very first of many babies to be born in what was
then the brand new nursing home in the town. Louis grew up in the
village of Newtowncashel, County Longford, a small town located about
five kilometers from Lough Ree, which is the second largest lake in the
Shannon River system. His father, Patrick Eustace served as a teacher
and as school principal in the village from 1912 until 1959, a total of
47 years.
Louis attended Newtowncashel Primary School and
served Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Cashel Parish. In 1948 there was a
Redemptorist Mission for two weeks in the parish. Louis Eustace was a
13-years old at the time. One of the Missioners, Father Hugo Kerr
suggested the idea of studying for the Redemptorist Priesthood. Young
Louis was greatly impressed by the Mission and this more than anything
else influenced his decision to join the Redemptorist order. It was a
happy decision and Louis had the whole hearted backing of his parents
and family.
The next five years were spent completing secondary
education in St. Clement College in Limerick City and from there he went
to University College, a Redemptorist Novitiate at Esker, Athenry, Co
Galway to study for the B.A. degree. In 1954, he was formally accepted
into the Redemptorist Religious Order and proudly placed the initials
CSSR behind his name. CSSR stands for the Latin words "Congregation
Sanctissimi Redemptoris (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
Father Louis Eustace studied at University College,
Galway, from 1954 and graduated with an Honours Degree in Classical
Languages (Latin & Greek) in 1962. He then entered the Redemptorist
Major Seminary at Cluain Mhuire, Galway City, and was ordained along
with 16 other priests on January 2, 1962, by Bishop Browne. His first
assignment was during 1962/63, in Cebu City, Philippines where he
studied Pastoral Theology. He remained in the Philippines where he did
missionary work in Iligan City, in the Province of Mindanao (1963-64)
and served as Teacher and Director in St. Clements College, Iloilo City
until 1970.
In 1970, Father Louis was one of five Redemptorist
Priests assigned to Our Lady of Hope Parish in Springfield,
Massachusetts some 90 miles west of Boston. Many of the parishioners at
Our Lady of Hope were Irish or of Irish extraction, and indeed over a
thousand people in the parish were from West Kerry (Dingle and points
West, Blaskets, etc.). Many still spoke Kerry Irish as their normal
language, among themselves. In Springfield, Father Louis often conducted
wakes and funerals in the Gaelic language. He writes, "They were great
people: (a) extremely generous and (b) incorrigibly conservative! If
something was not the practice "back in Kerry", then they wanted no part
of it...! But I loved it there."
Returning to Ireland in 1976, Father Louis was
assigned to Mount St. Alphonsus in Limerick where he remained until
1994. He describes this period as "marvelous years". He found great
satisfaction in conducting huge Solemn Novenas in major towns and cities
around Ireland. However in 1994, the Irish Redemptorists, in a Solemn
Conclave in Dublin, decided that the Order was "getting away from the
traditional Parish Mission" and there was a change of policy. Father
Louis was transferred to Dundalk, County Louth, just north of Dublin.
During the mid-1990’s, Father Louis began
experiencing erratic heart beats and his condition was diagnosed as
fibrillating (irregular) heart. On doctor’s orders, Father Louis began
to concentrate on work in St Joseph’s Parish in Dundalk, where at the
age of 71, he enjoys the slower pace and remains busy and happy.
The life of Father Louis Eustace has been blessed by
God in all kinds of wondrous ways.