Fonds - Rev. Michael J. Clarke fonds

Michael J. Clarke (1845-1914), Catholic priest, was born in County Kildare, Ireland, in 1845. He died from cancer on 24 June 1914.

From the age of thirteen Clarke attended Carmelite College, Clondalkin, Ireland. In 1863 Clarke entered St. Patrick's College, Carlow, Dublin, to study for the priesthood.

Following the completion of his course of studies at the college, Clark was invited by Bishop Power to serve in the Diocese of St. John's. He was ordained a priest, by Bishop Power on 24 June 1871. Rev. Clark was initially stationed as a curate in Fortune Bay area (1871-73). He was subsequently appointed as a curate in Holy Rosary Parish, Portugal Cove, under the pastoral leadership of Archdeacon Thomas O'Connor. Rev. Clarke was assigned responsibility for Torbay, where he resided, and where he exercised an active ministry from 1873-84. When Torbay was erected as a parish in 1884, Clarke was appointed as the first parish priest (1884-1911). While there, Rev. Clark supervised the construction of a convent, rectory, hall and several schools.

Rev. Clark also initiated the foundation of a Total Abstinence Society for the moral and social betterment of his parishioners (On 8 November 1909, he was awarded $3,000 for a libel action he had taken against a local newspaper, the Plaindealer.) In the spring of 1911 he retired from active work due to impaired health and returned to Ireland, taking up residence in Clontarf, a suburb of Dublin.