Murphy, Rev Ultan Patrick

REV. ULTAN PATRICK MURPHY

February 12, 2021

Personal Data

  • Date of Birth: 6 January 1927
  • Place of Birth in Ireland: Quarrylands, Dunboyne
  • County: Meath
  • Education: St Finian’s College, Mullingar and St Peter’s College, Wexford
  • Date of Ordination: 7 June 1953
  • Place of Ordination: St Peter’s Seminary, Wexford
  • Ordained by: Most Rev. James Staunton, Bishop of Ferns

Diocesan Assignments

  • Assistant – St John the Evangelist, Hoisington – 10/21/1953 to 11/9/1953
  • Assistant – St Rose of Lima, Great Bend – 11/10/1953 to 1956
  • Assistant – St John the Evangelist, Hoisington – 1956 to 9/14/1960
  • Pastor – St Mary Help of Christians, Loretto – 9/15/1960 to 10/14/1965
  • Pastor – St John, Kiowa – 10/15/1965 to 1966
  • Pastor – St John, St John and St Francis Xavier, Seward – 1966 to 12/10/1970
  • Pastor – Holy Rosary, Medicine Lodge and St John, Kiowa – 12/11/1970 to 1980
  • Board Member – Catholic Social Services, Great Bend – 3 year term
  • Pastor – St Ann, Olmitz with Holy Trinity, Timken – 1980 to 2014

Father Murphy was one of four priests who was recruited for the Wichita Diocese in the early 1950s but was assigned to the newly formed Diocese of Dodge City by Bishop Mark K. Carroll with classmates Fathers Eugene Kenny, Andrew McGovern and Kieran Murray after they arrived in Wichita through a “hat” drawing.

When the Most Rev. Michael Browne, Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh Ireland,  came for a visit, Bishop Mark K. Carroll, invited all of the Ireland-born priests of the Wichita and Dodge City diocese to a dinner at the Hotel Broadview. Thirty nine of the Irish-born priests attended, including Fr. Ultan Murphy, and heard Bishop Browne speak of the conditions in Ireland. He stated that “…each year 100 priests are ordained in Ireland for its own dioceses and 100 more for English-speaking countries, 140 for various religious orders, 80 for foreign missions or a total of 420 priests each year from a Catholic population of 3.25 million.”

Pastor Murphy, delivered the commencement address to 21 graduating nurses at the 9th Annual Commencement of the Dominican School of Nursing in Great Bend, held at the Saint Rose Auditorium.

At the time of his retirement in 2014, Father Murphy, was the oldest active Catholic pastor in Kansas at the age of 87. He was a resident pastor at Olmitz for 33 years.

Father Murphy was a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus in the Olmitz Council and according to many he was always ready to share a good joke, fellowship with friends, a round of golf, and in his younger days, long walks.

  • Date of Death: 12 February 2021
  • Place of Death: River Bend Assisted Living, Great Bend
  • Age of Death: 94
  • Funeral Celebrant: Most Rev. Jerry Vincke, Bishop of the Diocese of Salina in St Ann Church in Olmitz, Kansas
  • Burial: St Ann Cemetery, Olmitz

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