From our archives: South Mayo priest was expelled from China in 1951

By Tom Gillespie

ON January 9, 1954, The Connaught Telegraph carried an obituary on the death of a priest who was ‘expelled by the Reds’ from China, after 23 years in the missionary fields, after enduring a ‘People’s Trial’.

Rev. Michael Moran, of the Maynooth Mission to China, Dalgan Park, Navan, who had died, was, in 1951, expelled by the Reds from China, where he had ministered continuously since he went there in 1928.

Aged 48, he was a native of Glencorrib, Shrule, where his father still lived, while his sister Mrs. W. Finn lived in Cabra, Dublin.

While in China, Fr. Moran ministered at Kiangsi in the Diocese of Nancheng, ruled by Right Rev. D. Cleary, a native of Clare.

When Fr. Moran came back to Ireland in 1952 he told of his experiences under the Red regime in China.

He told how he was arrested in his church on December 30, 1950, and given a ‘People’s Trial’ in the market square of Kiangsi.

One of the charges made by 12 witnesses who appeared against him was that he had killed and eaten an orphan.

He was also charged with having killed two men. Fr. Moran was given no opportunity of questioning the witnesses or of answering the charges.

He described how he was expelled from Kiangsi and how he was led by rope to Wancheng 16 miles away.

During his journey he collapsed from sunstroke and was carried the rest of the way.

At Nancheng, the Mandarin told him he could remain if he could get a guarantor for his good behaviour.

Right Rev. Dr. Cleary gave him the required guarantee, and he was allowed to remain until February 20, 1951, when he underwent his first ‘official trial’.

At his second ‘official trial’ on October 3, he was subjected to many indignities and cruelties.

Following his second trial he was told he was to be sent back to Ireland, and that he could walk or go by bus as he wished.

Right. Rev. Cleary sent him some money to help his make the journey, but as Fr. Moran was told he could not take the money out of China it was little use to him.

Fr. Moran gave the money to the Red officer who, he was surprised to learn later, had returned it to Bishop Cleary.

His remains were removed from Glencorrib Church where the Bishop of Galway, Most Rev. Dr. Browne, presided and the Bishop of Nanchang, Right Rev. Dr. Cleary, was present in the sanctuary at the Solemn Requiem Mass and Office.

After the Mass the funeral took place to St. Columban’s College, Navan, where interment took place.

The chief mourners were: Messers. John, William and Patrick Moran (brothers); Mrs. Lena Conway, Mrs. Susan Murphy, Mrs. Berry Finn (sisters); Sergt. W. Finn, Mr. Donoghue (brothers-in-law); Mrs. W. Moran, Mrs. Marty Moran (sisters-in-law); Mrs. J. Strapp, Misses and Miss S. Steed (nieces) and Mr. P. Daly (uncle).

Preaching the panegyric, Most Rev. Dr. Browne said he felt the death of Fr. Moran as a personal loss.

He had been born and ordained in the parish of Shrule in the Diocese of Galway and having spent 22 years of his manhood on the Chinese Mission, Fr. Moran had returned to spend an all too short period as a curate in the diocese.

“Even in that short time,” said His Lordship, “we came to esteem him and realise that wonderful faith that animated him and the spirit of sacrifice which carried him through his years as a missionary, especially the last two trying years of great personal danger and sacrifice.”

Continuing, Most. Rev. Dr. Browne said notwithstanding all the late Fr. Moran had suffered at the hands of the Chinese, his dearest wish was to return and work among them again. He had not the slightest resentment for their apparent ingratitude.

His Lordship said Fr. Moran’s health was far more undermined by his last two years of suffering than the missionary realised, and his death came as a direct result of the terrible privations he had endured.

For that reason it could be regarded as death suffered for Our Lord Jesus Christ in the missionary field.

Concluding, His Lordship said he felt sure that Fr. Moran’s long years of missionary work and death would help to win at least for China the return of the Catholic Church there.

Michel Moran was born in Glencorrib, Shrule, in 1901. After completing his secondary education, he went on to read philosophy at St. Senan’s College, Cahiercon, Co. Clare, in 1921 for two years, and he continued his study with the Society of St. Columban in Dalgan, Shrule. He was ordained in 1926.

Fr. Michael was assigned to China and spent most of his missionary life in Nanchang and Nanfeng, both in Jiangxi province.

In 1928, with a group of five of his classmates and led by Cornelius Tierney, he went to Kienchang, north of Nanchang.

Later that year, he took over the parish of Nanchang with his fellow Columbans, Fr. Tim Leonard and Bishop Edward Sheehan. In July 1929, Fr. Leonard was killed by Communist bandits.

Throughout this period, Communist bandits were very active in the Nanfeng and Kienchang areas. In late 1929, Fr. Michael had another lucky escape when he fled to the hills during a Communist raid.

Times were hard for the missionary priests and, in 1931, Fr. Michael was to lose another colleague when Fr. Cornelius Tierney died as a result of maltreatment while being held captive by the Communist forces.

In 1932, Fr. Michael was transferred to the parish of Luki, a small town in the mountains, and later to Shangtanghsu.

He was sad to leave Nanchang as the people there were kind and supportive and he was so loved by them. They would give him protection and shelter during the bandit raids.

This remained a relatively peaceful area until the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937) and until the end of World War II (1945). Daily life was very unsettled with bombings and refugees being continuous themes.

Fr. Michael was appointed vice-superior of the Columban mission in Nanchang and superior in 1949.

The Communists took Nanchang in May 1949 and for the initial period they treated Fr. Michael amiably.

However, in December 1950, he was imprisoned and, in a series of trials, was accused of a multitude of offences from exploiting the Chinese people, to amassing a fortune, to eating an orphan, and the killing of two men.

During this period of detention, a fellow prisoner was taken out and shot which led Fr. Michael to believe that he would suffer a similar fate.

Instead, after enduring many harrowing experiences, he was released and expelled from China in 1951.