From Moville to Santiago: The life and mission of Fr John McLaughlin

Fr John McLaughlin, a Columban missionary priest whose ministry spanned Ireland and Chile and whose later years were spent back in his beloved Moville, died peacefully at Nazareth House, Fahan, on 19 February. 

Following his requiem mass in St Pius X Church, Moville, on February 21st, the 87-year-old was laid to rest in Ballybrack Cemetery, beside the church where he first served as an altar boy when it was Moville’s parish church.

Fr McLaughlin grew up in Moville and was the son of Charles McLaughlin, who ran a chemist shop on the town’s Main Street, and Maureen (née McFeely).

He received his primary education at Moville National School before continuing his studies at Blackrock College in Dublin. He later studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Clonliffe, and at University College Dublin and Maynooth College.

The proud Moville man was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1963. During the following sixteen years, he served in several parishes throughout the archdiocese, including Booterstown, Arklow, Dolphin's Barn, Marino, and Glasnevin. Those who knew him during those years remember a young priest with energy, curiosity, and a keen interest in the wider world.

In 1979, seeking a broader missionary experience, he received permission to work as a Diocesan Volunteer Priest with the Society of St Columban. He was assigned to the Columban Region of Chile and began what would become almost four decades of ministry in South America.

Serving in the Archdiocese of Santiago, the missionary priest immersed himself fully in the culture and language of the country he had grown to love, and he quickly became part of the local communities where he ministered. 

Though his time in South America was not without its challenges. Shortly after arriving in Chile, he contracted typhoid fever and came close to death, but he recovered and continued his missionary work with renewed determination.

For much of his time there, Chile was under the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, a period marked by political repression and fear. Fr McLaughlin and many other clergy sought to support struggling communities and to advocate for justice and human dignity during those difficult years, despite it not being safe to do so, as priests were among those who were disappeared by the regime for speaking out. 

In 1991, he applied to become a member of the Society of St Columban and was accepted as a permanent member in June 1995. He continued his ministry in Chile for another twenty years, serving in Santiago or Valparaiso, the two Chilean cities, more than 7,000 miles away from his beloved Moville. 

Known affectionately to many Chileans as “Juanito,” Fr McLaughlin maintained a lifelong love of Chilean poetry, music, and literature and often prayed in Spanish. Above all, he treasured the closeness he experienced with the people among whom he lived and ministered.

In 2016, Fr McLaughlin returned home and was appointed to the Columban Region of Ireland. He took up residence at St Columban’s, Summerville in Moville, a return that he described to the Inishowen Independent in 2018 as the “fulfilment of a dream” after many decades abroad.

Though officially retired, he remained active in parish life and in the wider community for as long as his health allowed. He assisted in local parishes, was involved with a local group of the Legion of Mary, and contributed regular reflections on mission for the Derry Diocesan bulletin, The Net. An avid reader throughout his life, he maintained a deep interest in theology, literature, and world affairs.

Fr McLaughlin also embraced community life in Moville. A member of the Moville Men’s Shed, he was well known there for his singing, storytelling, and warm humour. 

The dedicated missionary enjoyed walking along the shore path between Moville and Greencastle, where he often stopped to greet passers-by and renew old friendships. He was also a keen golfer and enjoyed travelling.

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Fr John McLaughlin will be remembered as a thoughtful priest, a committed missionary, and a man deeply interested in people and the world around him. From Moville to Santiago and back again, his life of service left a lasting impression on many communities across two continents.