Xaverian Missionaries

There are currently six Xaverians from the British Province, working in the UK. Tom Welsh from Mossend has been in Sierra Leone and is now the vice-Provincial Coordinator; John Convery (Provincial Coordinator) is in Glasgow and was a product of the College in its golden era when such as Jim Clarke, Ian Bathgate and Joe Devine were all contemporaries; Jim Clarke in Preston and Ian Bathgate working in Mexico. Not only are they all contemporaries, but they all hail from Coatbridge.

Also from Coatbridge are John Fagan, who currently in Bangladesh and Steve McKend in our Central House in Italy. Another product of the College is Kevin Ryan, from Newarthill, who has been in Sierra Leone and is currently the community co-ordinator in London. Archie Casey, from Hamilton, is currently working in the Philippines. Although closed for a number of years the College is still helping produce vocations: Patrick Duffy, from Newmains, the youngest British Xaverian.

Joining Tom in the late vocation mould is Willie Hattie, from Kirkintilloch, who, as a marine engineer, brought new talents to Colombia, Spain and Britain and is currently in a parish. Yet, despite the youth of the British Xaverians, there are two who have already reached the end of their vocation: John Cassidy, one of the first British Xaverians from Musselbrugh, died in Brazil in 1967 and Paul Magurn died, at the age of 33, in London in 1989 with a full life seemingly ahead of him.