Kinkora’s children have dedicated their lives to the ser-
vice of God: 12 priests and 32 Sisters in various con-
gregations. Not a great number, perhaps, but let us
hope and pray that one of the fruits of this Congress
will be an increase in religious vocations, and that
many of Kinkora ’s sons and daughters will choose the
better part, and help to promote the greatest work that
really matters in this life — the spread of God’s
Kingdom on earth and the salvation of immortal
souls. 2"
The high value placed on religious vocations in these
remarks were echoed in 1986 by a man in the parish who
already numbered several nuns and priests among his
children; after expressing great pride in having some of his
children “called by God”, he added he would have been very
pleased if all his children had chosen religious vocations.
Entertainment in these communities during the 1930s in—
volved fewer large events than in previous decades. Only the
show referred to at the beginning of this chapter appears
to have been performed in the decade. No tea parties or
horse races were advertised. However, baseball and hockey
teams from Kinkora were active. And there were “socials”
connected with the meetings of the various Study Clubs;
and, a few auction-forty—five card parties in private homes
were reported. In 1937 there was a gathering of people in
Kinkora to bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Michael McKen-
na. Michael and Maria McKenna had operated a general
store between Kinkora and Shamrock, and had a reputa-
tion for “always giving good measure? Maria was a former
teacher at Kinkora; and Michael was a popular story—teller,
especially of stories of “the log-cabin days in P.E.IZ’25 One
of his published stories is printed below. The story takes
us back to pioneer days, and it seems a fitting symbol of
those simpler times, that in 1939 were rapidly coming to an
end, as the world plunged into war once again.

93

    

Shreenan Family

Front Row Left to Right: Sisters of St. Joseph: Sr. Lenora, Sr. Ina, Sr.
Marietta.

Back Row left to Right: Damien, Leo, Mary 13., Reg, Frank.
(Courtesy of Reg Shreenan)

 
   

Several of the Priests from St. Malachy’s Parish

Front Row Left to Right: Rev. John J. MacDonald, Rev. Peter Duffy,
Bishop Henry O’Leary, Rev. PeterF. Hughes, Rt. Rev. Gillis, Rev. G].
MacLellan.

Back Row: Rev. John 12 Murphy, Rev. Mathias J. Smith, Rev. Francis
Mcquaid, Mr. Murphy.
(Names in bold print indicate they were born in parish.)

(Courtesy of Rev. Francis J. Corcoran)