Ireland’s Missions and Missionaries in the Twentieth Century

The modern missionary movement emerged as an important Catholic project in twentieth-century Ireland. Public support for the ‘foreign missions’ to convert ‘pagans’ was presented as evidence of the strength of Catholic faith in Ireland; the missionaries became popular heroic figures. Saint Columbanus and Ireland’s Golden Age were cited as proof that the Irish had a natural aptitude for missionary work. New Irish missionary organizations led to fundraising campaigns in schools and parishes to support the missions and develop new vocations. Male and female religious travelled to China, India, and various African countries to open schools and hospitals, and save souls, often ill-prepared for the cultural differences they encountered. In later decades, a new missiology emerged with more focus on humanitarianism and social justice, and less emphasis on conversion. However, the older discourse had lasting impact and Africa remains associated with ‘Pennies for Black Babies’ in the Irish imagination.