b'A ni nterview with Ag eorgiAt reAsureWRITTEN BY TJ MC CAUSTLANDBishop J. Kevin Boland was appointed the thirteenth Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah by Pope John Paul II on February 7, 1995. He was consecrated and installed on April 18, 1995 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah.I was fortunate to be on the State Council as Warden for theThere was much crying and sadness. My mother was sad.I two years that his Grace (Irish formality) Boland led us spiritu- was the second of her sons to travel across the Atlantic. My ally.I enjoyed his messages and the patience with which ourolder brother Ray* left two years earlier to serve as a priest in Good Shepherd led us.Bishop Boland would frequently call onWashington D.C. us to join him in a prayer that we should have known but didMy younger brothers Frank and Tony are both married and not.Rather than being upset the good Bishop would educatelive in Kinsale, County Cork and they have four children each.I us on where the prayer could be found on the internet, why theenjoy my visits with the nieces and nephews and their parents. prayer was important, where it came from, and when it wasTheir homes are my homes.appropriate to offer the prayer. I accompanied my brother Ray to Ireland in 2014 when he I had the honor and privilege of interviewing his Excellencywas ill to be with family. He died 24 hours after we arrived in Bishop Emeritus of Savannah J. Kevin Boland. His kindnessIreland. Two pilots and a nurse traveled with me and Bishop and graciousness of that interview were very evident.This in- Ray from Kansas City to Cork, Ireland. The flight had one stop terview was recorded by T.J. Mc Caustland and his words arein Gander Newfoundland on the way to Ireland.The whole fam-identified by the note for interviewer I:and italicized ily got to visit him prior to his dying. He died on the 2nd Your Excellency or would you prefer your Grace, (heday after arriving home.His funeral was held in the corrected me just Bishop) thank you for taking thechurch where he held his first mass.He requested time to bless the Knights of Columbus of Georgiato be buried in the church yard in Tipperary Town withyourthoughts.YouknowthattheGeorgiabecause our mother and father were married there, Knights do not have the words to convey just howand he was baptized in that Church.My broth-much we love and appreciate you. er Ray was ordained a priest for Washington D.C. Bishop Ray served as the second bishop of the I: Tell me about Monkstown; This is the town whereDiocese of Birmingham, Alabama and then was as-I was born. signed as bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mis-It is situated on the river Lee about 10 miles fromsouri.He was my big brother. He was my hero and I Cork City.I was an infant when my family movedlooked up to him. to Cork City.Cork City is about the size of Sa- vannah built on the River Lee which flowsI: Why were you parents John Joseph and Ger-directly through the heart of the city.trude living in Monkstown and Cork City? Cork is a city of bridges. The bridg- My mother was from Tipperary my fa-es crisscross the river at many dif- ther was from Kerry.They met because ferent locations.Cork City is ap- my grandfather on my mothers side proximately 10-15 miles up-riverran a store in Tipperaray and the from Cobh Harbor.This was thefamily traveled to an annual basis final port of call for the ill-fatedto Kerry where they met. I was journey of the Titanic. broughtupinCountyCork WhenIwasanewlyor- where my Father worked for dained priest in 1959, I spentthe ESB (Electricity Supply six weeks with my family be- Board).TheESBwas fore sailing on the SS Ameri- theauthorizeddealer ca to New York City.I board- for electrical applianc-ed this colossal ship from aes.Ruralelectrifica-tender.Thereweremanytionoccurredinmy religious sisters and sever- lifetime.Awayfrom alnewlyordainedprieststhecitiestheyhad onboard.Wewereallcandle-lightandthe sailingtotheUnitedmanual work was done States for the first time.by horses and manual la-50'